Life is Good Mostly
by Centon-Nikki
Summary: Set in the future, John and Randy have been together for over ten years and are semi-retired, living in Florida... what happens when Alanna asks to move and come to live with them.
1. Chapter 1

**I'm still working on One Moment Together but this one popped into my head. If you like it then I'll continue. Let me know what you think. **

**It's set about 12 years into the future so Randy and John are starting to get on a bit but I won't be drawing on that part too much, just a few little subplots. Will also feature Codiasi.**

As a pair of tattooed arms wrapped around from behind, John Cena sighed as he watched the sun set over the bay which was the backdrop to the home he shared with his partner. Randy and he had been together for thirteen years and although they started off shaky soon enough they realised they were meant for one another. Maybe that was why they were drawn together when they both started in OVW.

Sure, Randy had been an arrogant ass, but John found it an endearing quality and overlooked so many occasions when Randy had pushed his tolerance to brink and beyond. When Randy announced his engagement, John was shocked to say the least. Randy always said he wasn't the marrying kind, didn't want a family, and just wanted a successful wrestling career and lots of sex along the way.

He was confused to begin with but considered how the man's lifestyle calmed down when he was with Samantha, but not enough to give up the drugs. When Samantha told him she was pregnant not long after their wedding, John watched as initially Randy pushed the drug use even further. He was scared for his friend there would be a reoccurrence of his overdose. Samantha was getting frantic at Randy's reaction and John took it upon himself to resolve the situation.

One night after a live event John pulled him into his hotel room and talked to him. He never pressed him and jut listened as he talked about his fears of becoming a father so early on.

He was scared that he would harm the child and was concerned about being away from them so much due to the nature of his job. John calmed him down and explained the only way he was going to hurt the baby would be to keep up the drug use and kill himself.

When he said the words the reaction was immediate and Randy freaked a little more, letting tears flow from his eyes at the thought of letting it get that far. John moved close to comfort him, holding the man in his arms. When they pulled back from the comforting embrace, their eyes locked and before they comprehended what was happening both men had leaned in for a kiss.

"What are you thinking about?" the tattooed man asked as he leant in to place a kiss behind John's ear.

"Our first kiss," John said sighing again at the feel of Randy's lips.

"We've had better kisses, darling," Randy said as he continued placing kisses along John's neck. "Personally I prefer our second kiss… much more passionate."

John chuckled at Randy's comment; he loved how Randy was always thinking with his crotch. It always led to some interesting nights.

"You mean when you pinned me to the shower wall after WrestleMania 28?" John asked making sure he was thinking of the same occasion. "That was a long time coming."

"Darling, it was my birthday," he said moving round to sit in front of John on the patio lounger. "And I'm sorry to this day that I waited as long as I did."

"Neither of us was in the right place at the time, it would have ruined our friendship if we'd pursued that kiss," John said smiling at his friend and lover.

They went through this every time they discussed their past. Deep down neither regretted the way they got together, but Randy regretted losing so much time with John. As John always explained, the kiss made their friendship stronger, and brought Randy from his destructive habits.

John reached over and took Randy's hand and pulled him over to the lounger he was sat in.

"Sit with me and watch the sun set," he pleaded. "I want you to hold me."

"Sappy fool," Randy smiled getting up and moving to the lounger.

John shifted in his position so Randy could get comfortable and then laid his head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to get your hard body under me," he said looking at Randy from where he lay. A small smirk playing across his face.

"Well, one of us has to maintain a good body, you're getting saggy old man," Randy teased to his lover, knowing it wound him up to think he was getting nearer to fifty.

"Keep talking if you're set on sleeping in the spare room," John countered. "Besides, you're not far behind me."

"Yeah, but I'm the right side of forty-five," Randy continued his teasing.

John smiled at the banter which still flowed between them even after all these years. He pulled himself closer to Randy enjoying the feel of his strong arms wrapped around him.

"You know, even at your age though," Randy breathed into John's ear. "You still look hot, especially when you've been working out at the gym."

They remained in each other's arms, Randy kissing the top of John's head from time to time, as the sun set out in the bay. As the sun disappeared into the water, John pulled himself so he was eye level with Randy.

"Tell me how much you love me," John requested of his lover.

Randy cupped John's face and brought his face in so they were mere inches apart.

"I love you with all of my heart. I have never known anyone who could keep me on the straight and narrow like you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here now," Randy said in all seriousness. "Mostly though, I love you because you're so easy."

Before John could bite back from his last comment, Randy pulled him in and locked John's lips in a fierce kiss. When John relaxed into the kiss, Randy sought access to his mouth by running his tongue along John's lower lip, nibbling gently. When the older man moaned, parting his lips slightly, Randy pushed his tongue in, searching out his insides as though it was the first time he'd ever tasted his mouth.

The two men fought for dominance as tongues clashed in loving abandon, but as he knew he would, Randy won out, running his hands along John's spine and grabbing John's ass, holding him still as he ground his hips up into his partner's. The moan that escaped John's throat into Randy's mouth sounded like pure sex, causing Randy to pull John even closer to him as they continued kissing.

John broke the kiss in need of air and pulled himself up so he was straddling Randy's lap. He pulled at the hem of Randy's shirt so he could remove it, letting his hands travel across Randy's still stomach. Although his abs weren't as pronounced as they once were, John was still turned on by how toned Randy was. He watched as Randy closed his eyes at the feel of John's touch and smiled. He rolled his hips against Randy and smiled further as he felt the reaction he was getting underneath.

"You can do that all night, darling," Randy breathed.

John continued grinding gently into Randy as he leant in placing kissed across his stomach as he removed his t-shirt from body. He threw the t-shirt to the floor and flicked his fingers across Randy's nipples before moving his lips to take one into his mouth, bathing it with his tongue. When Randy started squirming beneath him, he moved across to the other nipple as his hands travelled further down his body, resting on the waistline of his jeans, his fingers lazily moving across Randy's skin.

Randy bucked his hips trying to get John to release his straining cock from its confines.

"Impatient honey?" John teased.

"Only when you're taking your time," Randy said, gritting his teeth as John continued his torturous journey across his skin. He grabbed John's hips and ground harshly up into him, trying to get some form on release but only succeeding in making both of them groan at the sensations coursing through them.

Randy's hands moved to the front of John's jeans, popped the button and whimpered as he saw John's hard member stand free of any underwear.

"Stand up" he ordered his lover.

John hopped off Randy's lap willing to do as he was ordered and watched Randy swing his legs off the lounger and sit facing John where he stood, eye level with his crotch.

Randy pushed John's shirt out the way slightly and pressed kisses to his stomach, teasing his partner. He let his hands travel around to John's back and he raked his fingers down the skin, latching on to his jeans, pulling them down his legs, and letting John step free.

"Shirt," he barked as his fingers slowly made their way back up John's legs, his lips now attacking John's hipline, teasing him.

"Honey, please," John begged removing his shirt as instructed.

"Want me, darling?"

"Yes," John said the desperation evident in his voice.

"I need you too, darling," Randy said, his breath brushing against John's prominent member.

He pulled back opening his jeans, groaning slightly at the ease of pressure in his pants. John sank down to his knees, running his hands along Randy's thighs before sliding one hand into the opening of his jeans before taking hold of him through his boxers.

"Let me help you, honey," he said as Randy bucked his hips forcing John to grip him tighter. John released his hold on Randy and slid a second hand under the seams of his boxers, gripping the edge.

"Johnny, now," Randy ordered at John's slow movements.

Wanting to appease his lover, John quickly pulled Randy's remaining clothing from his body throwing it toward the pile of clothes already discarded. He kissed his way up Randy's legs, enjoying the feel of his thick thighs.

"Get the lube," Randy barked orders at him again. Ignoring the comment, John continued to rain kisses along Randy's upper legs, working his way along until his head was brushing against Randy's length, causing the younger man to growl underneath him.

Suddenly Randy's hands seized John's head dragging him up his body by what little hair he could grasp.

"I was being good to you, Johnny, letting you play," he snarled. "But since you ignored my command, I'm taking over. Now lube these up."

Randy thrust his fingers into John's mouth making the larger man moan at the intrusion, as he sucked greedily at the fingers, making sure they were wet enough to slide easily into him. He continued to moan as Randy pulled tighter on his hair, every tug making him harder.

Randy pulled his fingers from John's mouth, tugging on his hair one last time forcing him to look at him.

"Turn around and bend over," Randy demanded of his lover.

John twisted on the spot so his back was to Randy and then bent over so he was on all fours just as Randy wanted. He closed his eyes as he felt the gentle caress of Randy's palm running across his ass cheek, loving how his lover could go from demanding to gentle in a second. Before he had a chance to truly appreciate the gentleness of his lover's touch, John hissed as a sharp slap hit his exposed flesh.

"That's for disobeying me," Randy said leaning into John's ear, as his fingers moved to John's opening, teasing him.

John was about to plead for Randy to press into him when Randy's finger thrust up, causing John to moan at the invasion, pushing back onto Randy's finger looking for more. Randy soon pulled out and went back in with two, scissoring and stretching John so he could take more. When John was starting to ride the fingers in him, Randy pushed a third finger in and thrust harder and faster hitting John's bundle of nerves with every stroke.

"Fuck… Randy… I can't take anymore… I'm going to…"

Before he could finish his sentence Randy quickly pulled his fingers out and tugging gently on John's sac, calming the older man.

"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny," Randy said in an evil tone. "First you ignore my instruction, now you started to cum without my permission. Someone's being a bad boy this evening."

"I couldn't help it, you were-"

"Don't give me that Johnny, you know you should control yourself," Randy said smiling as he watched his lover squirm. "Tell me you're sorry."

"Randy, please," John pleaded as Randy shifted his position so his hard cock was pressed against his entrance.

"Tell me you're sorry, and I will," Randy promised him.

"I'm sorry," he groaned as Randy starting rubbing his cock against John's butt. "I'm sorry, honey, please, God, I'm sorry."

Randy pulled away to a slight moan from John as he retrieved a bottle of lube from the back of the wicker drawers they had on the patio. Every time they pulled it out he smiled at the memory of when they realised they were going to need to stash some out here.

"Just think, if you'd done what I asked you'd already have me in you," he teased as he led down on the sun lounger, stroking his member, lubing it up ready to enter John. He could have led there all night, stroking himself as he watched John on all four waiting for him. It still turned him on even now that his lover would do anything for him. "I'd have even let you have some more fun; but instead, I'm here getting myself ready for you."

He watched as John discreetly glanced his way, wanting to see him stroke his member. Randy purposely drew out his movements, letting John get a glimpse as his precum mixed with the lube.

"You're going to have to make this up to me Johnny," Randy said, interrupting his thoughts. "Come over here and ride me."

John immediately turned around, crawling the couple of steps it took to get back to the sun lounger. He kept his head down and inwardly smiled. He knew Randy would love it even more if he played the broken puppy. He slowly pulled himself up onto the lounger and straddled his lover, his eyes falling shut as he felt Randy slide against his skin.

So he didn't keep him waiting any longer, John rose up and positioned himself above Randy's erect cock. They both groaned in pleasure as the head pushed past John's tight ring and he made the slow journey down Randy's cock.

Once John was fully sheathing his cock, Randy placed his hands on John's hips to hold him steady while he adjusted to the invasion. After a moment he flexed his hips to see if John felt any pain and was pleased when John moaned in pleasure.

"Ride me Johnny," he breathed.

John rose up only a short distance before sinking back down, when he felt no pain, he rose a little further, steadying himself by grabbing hold of Randy's arms, continuing the rhythm he'd found.

"Oh God… Randy… that's it… fuck… feels so good," John cried out.

Randy loved watching John get himself off, it's why he always liked to let him get his way from time to time, to see his face as he pushed himself closer and closer to the edge. When he went to grab hold of his dick, Randy swatted his hand away.

"Uh uh, I want to see you lose it without touching yourself," Randy told him.

John leant forward resting his hand on the back of the lounger and redoubled his efforts trying to find the spot inside that would send him over.

"Trying to find something, Johnny?" Randy asked, his smugness coming through.

Randy flexed his hips underneath John, brushing his prostate, causing John to scream.

"There's my slut," Randy commented.

"Again," John pleaded trying to keep up the pace he had but found his rhythm becoming erratic.

Randy grabbed John's hips harshly and started thrusting up into him, hitting John's sweet spot with every stroke, John moaning louder and louder every time he drove in.

"Do you want to cum, Johnny?"

"Yes."

"Tell me you're a slut," Randy said grabbing a fistful of hair and pulling John back so he could look him in the eye.

"I am," John cried, begging for release.

"I want to hear it," Randy ordered, tugging on his hair again.

"I'm a slut; I'm your slut," John cried out desperate for Randy to let him cum.

"Oh God… yes you are… you're nobody's but mine," Randy ordered crashing his lips to John's, searching out his mouth as John rode him. "Fuck, Johnny… I'm going to lose it… take me with you, darling."

He took hold of John's neglected cock and stroked him, causing the older man to scream once more as he shot his load over Randy's stomach and chest. The sight of John losing it, and the feel of him clamping down around his own cock, sent him over the edge as well.

"Johnny… darling… fuck," Randy yelled as released into John.

He wrapped his arms around John as he collapsed against his hard body, running his fingertips up and down John's spine, trying to calm his breathing.

"Want to go to bed old man," Randy said, as he felt John' breathing even out.

"No matter how good the sex was, I'll still make you sleep in the spare room if you keep those comments up," John mumbled into his chest.

Randy chuckled at the resumed banter; adjusting his position on the lounger he lifted a satiated John and carried him in through the French windows and up the staircase to their bedroom.

"Guess I'm getting on a bit as well," he smiled as he placed John on the bed. "My arms are killing me now."

As Randy walked round to his side of the bed, John pulled back the sheets and slid under, pulling back Randy's side as well. Once Randy got into bed, John curled up next to him resting his head on Randy's chest.

"We can be old together then," John muttered as they fell to sleep in one another's arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Randy groaned a little as he rolled over in bed the next morning. He wrapped his arm around John and nestled in behind him. He knew today was going to be difficult and wanted nothing more than to stay in bed and sleep through it.

A week ago he had called his ex-wife in St. Louis to let her know details of his flight so they could arrange his time with Alanna. Although it was tradition every year, since he moved to Florida with John, for Randy to get time with Alanna on her birthday and the week surrounding it, now Sam was married again those traditions were changing.

And although Sam was the one to change the plans, it was left to Randy to explain why Alanna wouldn't be spending time with him on her birthday. Sam and Neil were taking her to California for the week as her present from them. Randy bit his tongue when explaining to his daughter since he thought the real reason was because they hadn't managed to have a honeymoon.

John had tried to persuade him to have her down in Florida the following week however he knew she wouldn't go for the idea. As much as Alanna liked John, he knew she wasn't comfortable with their chosen lifestyle.

"Morning honey," John said as he stretched his body out, rubbing against Randy in the process.

"Do you have to do that every morning?" Randy grizzled, though struggling to hide a smirk.

"I like to know you still want me," John retorted.

"Every damn morning," Randy scolded seductively in John's ear.

John chuckled a little in response and relaxed in his lover's arms. He loved the lazy mornings in bed, Randy always told him it was his play time, where John could do what he liked and Randy couldn't do anything about it.

John knew today was going to be more than a little sad for Randy, since he couldn't spend any quality time with Alanna. And since this was his time to play, John was going to distract Randy from his sadness.

He turned over in Randy's arms, pushing him onto his back. Straddling his thighs, John lay above Randy, resting on his elbows. He leant in the short distance that separated them and captured Randy's lips in a soft kiss.

"Can I be your slut again this morning?" John asked softly in Randy's ear.

Randy growled at the question and John knew the answer. He reached over to the bedside cabinet, opened the top drawer and pulled out the pot of lube.

John poured some lube into his hand and spread it around before taking hold of Randy's thick cock.

"Mmm… that feels so good, darling," Randy moaned as John continued stroking him. "But if you're my slut, you should be sucking me, not stroking me."

John immediately shifted position so he could take Randy's cock in his mouth; he took him all the way in, with Randy's cock hitting the back of his throat.

"Ohh… good boy," Randy groaned bucking his hips up.

Holding Randy there for a couple of seconds John pulled back up and started bobbing up and down on Randy's cock. John started stroking his own cock lightly only to be stopped by Randy's hand.

"Uh-uh, turn around, I want to watch you prepare yourself," Randy ordered.

John pulled off from Randy's cock and turning around so Randy could watch as he reached back with a lubed finger and played with his opening. He didn't push in straight away; he wanted to tease Randy a little. As much as he liked being bossed around by Randy, this was still his play time.

He flicked his hole a couple of times and circled it with the tip of his finger before finally pushing in a little. He groaned at the intrusion, taking a deep breath.

"Easy darling," Randy cooed from behind. "Take your time."

John slowly started pumping his finger in and out, putting on a show for Randy. He started to push back against his finger and soon found it not enough. He pulled out and went straight back in with two.

"Oh yeah… that's it… I could go like this all day," John moaned as he continued fingering his butt.

"Put another one in there," Randy tried to order but John could hear the desperation in his voice.

John looked back over his shoulder, smirking as he saw Randy stroking himself, breathless from the sight in front of him.

"Like this?" John teased as he pulled his two fingers out and slowly added a third, letting his eyes drift shut as another moan fell from his lips.

He slowly started pumping his fingers in and out whilst scissoring himself to stretch his hole wide enough to take Randy's thick cock.

John felt Randy's movement as he positioned himself behind John.

"You are such a slut, Johnny," he breathed. John felt a finger running up his inner thigh, causing a shiver to go throughout his body. "And you've been such a good boy today, doing exactly as I told you."

John was still slowly pumping himself and having Randy's head so close to his entrance was turning him on even more as he felt every breath of air released from his lungs brush across his backside. He started panting, wondering what Randy was going to do to him.

"Would you like a present?" Randy asked.

John couldn't speak as the excitement was building up in his body; he simply closed his eyes and nodded.

"Johnny, I asked you a question; would you like a present?" Randy asked again and John could hear the annoyance in his voice

"Yes," John breathed, barely above a whisper.

"I can't hear you Johnny. If you don't answer my question then I will walk away from now," Randy said as anger rose up in his voice. "Now would you like a present?"

"Yes… yes… yes," John bellowed finally finding his voice.

John knew Randy was smiling at he let go of the little control he had on the situation. He looked back when he hear Randy chuckling.

"To think, I haven't even done anything to you yet," Randy smiled as John felt Randy's fingers edge closer to his entrance.

"Honey… I'm so close, please… I need to feel you," John pleaded.

"How close, darling?" Randy asked softly. "I haven't got to play yet."

"I don't think I can last," John panted.

"Do you want to cum now or do you want to let me play?" Randy asked, stalling John's fingers.

John clamped his eyes shut, trying to control his thoughts. He was so hard it was already starting to get painful, but he loved the way Randy made him feel as he pushed him passed his limits.

"I want… you… to play," John said between pants.

John looked back over his shoulders as he felt Randy pull John's fingers from his entrance and then move away from him. Collapsing on the bed, he watched Randy go over to the dresser and pull out a couple of items, knowing exactly what Randy picked up.

Getting excited again, John pulled himself up onto his knees and moved to the edge of the bed. As Randy got close he pulled him in and captured his lips, enjoying the taste of them.

"I love your kisses," Randy moaned as he broke the kiss briefly before recapturing John's lips.

As they kissed, tasting one another's mouths, Randy ran his hand down John's body, taking in the contours of his abs before moving lower, but avoiding John's member.

"Randy," John begged pulling away from Randy's lips.

"Shhh, relax darling, I'm going to give you all the pleasure you're looking for," he said as he slipped a cock ring over John's dick. "And I'm going to get to play as well."

Randy looked deep into John's eyes to make sure he still wanted this. He knew John was already on the brink and to keep going would be painful, but he also knew John loved being pushed.

When John pulled him into another fierce kiss, Randy moaned acknowledging John's acceptance before pushing John away from him and onto the bed.

"Hands," he ordered.

John eagerly held both hands out and Randy smiled at him, tenderly cupping his face before crashing his lips to John's.

"Aren't you glad I bought these, Johnny?"

John simply nodded in response as Randy cuffed his wrists together. Randy pulled on the chain and moved John so he could hook the chain over the top of the headboard, restricting John's movements. As soon as he was hooked up John started pulling on the cuffs trying to work out how he could move and get free from his predicament.

As he was fighting against the chains, Randy climbed onto the bed and straddled John, enjoying the feeling of his body thrusting about underneath him, John's rock hard dick brushing against his own.

"There's no way you're getting free from those Johnny, you know I learnt my lesson in 2009," Randy said smirking. "But, please, do keep trying; it feels good, you thrashing about under me."

John slowed his motions, relenting to his situation. Knowing Randy was one hundred percent in charge.

"Giving up so soon, darling… hmmm… guess that means I'm not doing it right… I better remedy that," Randy said moving up John's body so he straddled his chest. "Now open up."

John shook his head, knowing what Randy wanted him to do. When Randy pressed the tip of his cock to John's lips John turned his head away so he wasn't able to push in. Randy forced his head back around so his dick rested gently on John's lips, but he still wouldn't open. Randy smirked once more as he reached behind with his free hand and gripped John's hard penis.

As John moaned, Randy pushed his cock in John's mouth, and John automatically started sucking even though he was still thrashing about, trying to get away.

"Good boy, Johnny," he said, stroking the top of John's head as he sucked greedily at Randy's cock. "Oh yeah… suck that dick."

Randy watched with hungry eyes as John continued sucking as he thrust into John's mouth. John grabbed the long chain of his handcuffs, trying to pull himself up so he could get more of Randy into his mouth, but before he could Randy pulled out of him. He scooted off John's body and reached up to unhook John from the headboard.

"On your knees," Randy ordered breathless from the pleasure John had given him. He unlocked one side of the cuffs, pulling John's arms so they were behind him before re-cuffing his lover.

He sat on the bed with his back against the headboard, once again taking in the sight of John from behind.

"Get over here and ride me," Randy instructed. "You looked so goddamn sexy last night; I want to see you do it again."

John turned around and made his way up Randy's body so he was hovering above Randy's cock. He lowered himself down on Randy's erect shaft, halting only once when he first entered him. As he grew accustomed to Randy's thick member being inside his body, Randy gently pulled him in and seized his lips, kissing him lightly until John pulled away, the need for air too great.

He rose up tentatively and when there was no sign of pain he slammed back down onto Randy's cock, making the younger man yell in pleasure.

"Fuck, Johnny," Randy cried out as John continued to slam onto his cock. "Let me hear you darling. I know you've got to be feeling this as well."

"I am… shit… I'm feeling it honey," John yelled. "Shit… that's it… fuck, right there… of, fuck… Randy, honey, please... I need to cum."

"Cum for me then," Randy said through gritted teeth as he pulled the cock ring from John's member.

"Ssshhhiiittt," John screamed as he came all over Randy's abs. as the last wave of his orgasm hit, John collapsed into Randy, who caught him in his arms. "Shit."

Randy eased John off his cock and out of the handcuffs. He rolled John onto his back, kissing his wrists, making sure they were okay, and claimed his lips in another searing kiss.

"Honey, you're still hard," John noted as he felt Randy's rock hard dick pressing against his thigh. "Let me finish you off."

"No darling, you're too tired," Randy soothed, kissing John's neck. "I'll tell you what though, since you didn't get your present earlier; how about I give you one now."

"Honey, I'm too tired to go a whole round again," John whined playfully as Randy's choice of words.

"Oh, but you'll like this Johnny," Randy crooned in John's ear. "You are a slut after all."

Randy shifted his position so he was once again straddling John's upper body, staying on his knees as he took hold his hard cock. He started stroking slowly at first but when he caught sight of John licking his lips, he sped up.

The head of his cock close to John's face. Randy smirked as he started stoking harder as he got closer to his completion.

"Fuck… yeah, Johnny… get ready I'm going to cum all over you… fuck… yes… yes… fuuuccckkk," he yelled as his cum shot out into John's mouth. When John closed his mouth a second shot splashed onto his lips and cheek. "Oh god yeah… look at you, you dirty slut."

Randy wiped his fingers through the cum that was on John's cheek and then offered them to John. John eagerly opened his mouth for Randy and then started to suck the cum from his fingers.

"Mmm, I love having a slut for a boyfriend," Randy mused as John licked the cum from his lips.

"Only for you honey," John said as he pulled Randy down into his arms. "No one else, male or female ever got me into that state."

Randy kissed the top of John's head, before running a finger along John's lower lip.

"Evidently," Randy smirked, offering his finger to John, who licked the last remnants of cum from Randy's finger.

"Like you can talk," John chuckled eying up Randy's abs that were still covered in his juices.

Randy chuckled himself as he lazily ran his fingers through the liquid, "Maybe I just like a reminder of how hard you always cum for me."

John sat up and stretched before standing up from the bed. He pulled on Randy's arm who begrudgingly allowed John to pull him from bed and followed him into the bathroom. They both hopped in the twin-head shower, taking it in turns to wash the other, gently kissing one another as they did.

Randy was always thankful to have John in his life but on mornings like this, where he didn't want to face the day, he was all the more thankful. He loved how they could have their sexy fun time and then go straight back to lovingly washing one another in the shower without even the hint of it turning into anything more.

Of course, go back to their first year together and they probably would've gone at it in every room of the house at least once a week; but as with every relationship, that calmed down and one hot loving round was enough. Randy had to admit, he preferred it that way as well. If they'd kept going like that he wondered if they'd still be together.

They finished showering and went down for breakfast on the veranda. As Randy prepared the food, John went about collecting their clothing from the previous night and putting it in the laundry room, ready to be done later in the day.

"I'm doing bacon and eggs, is that okay?" Randy asked as John came back from the laundry room.

"What would you do if I said no?" John shouted as he went back upstairs to straighten the bed.

"Force feed you," Randy retorted.

Randy was dishing up the food as John came back downstairs, his arms full of bed sheets.

"Darling, you only changed them yesterday," Randy joked.

"Somebody messed them up," John commented sarcastically as he dumped the sheets in with their clothing.

"You better watch your aim next time," Randy quipped, chuckling at the glare he received from his lover. "Come on, breakfast is served."

They sat out on the veranda and ate; John suggesting they head to the gym during the day as he needed to check up on business before they went to Hard Nock's Hell to have a work out themselves. Randy agreed, never missing a chance to watch John workout. It would also be a good distraction from not spending time with Alanna.

After eating they continued to sit out on the veranda, moving to the loungers and they discussed Randy's business plans.

Since finishing his active wrestling career four years ago, Randy had taken on various projects with the WWE, from a couple of movies to helping out with some training of rookies on the Tough Enough programme. The short stint on Tough Enough made him realise he'd like to be able to do more of that type of work and he and John were discussing the possibility of Randy opening a wrestling school in the Tampa area.

Their home in Apollo Beach was only half hour away from Tampa and the gyms owned by John, so it made sense to open a training school there as well. They were already talking about giving participants day passes to either Hard Nock's or JC Fitness, John's second gym, which he'd opened after retiring.

As they were talking, Randy heard the phone ringing and went inside to take the call, knowing already who it would be.

"Hey Sweetheart, Happy Birthday," he said trying to sound as cheerful as he could. "How's L.A.?"

Randy walked over to the living area and spread out on the sofa, as Alanna told him about her trip so far.

"Shopping in Beverly Hills? Sounds like Neil's really treating you girls. So what are your plans for today? Are you having a big birthday celebration?" Randy asked as Alanna explained about a meal later tonight. "Sounds fancy."

John came up behind him and squeezed his shoulder for support and Randy tilted his head back to smile at him. John mouthed for Randy to say Happy Birthday from him.

"I know, Sweetheart, I wish I were there as well. I already feel guilty enough I can't see you as often as I would like, and now I can't see you on your sixteenth, did you get the presents we sent over?" Randy asked, hoping at least his daughter would have his gift. "Good. Listen, I'll do a trip up to St. Louis before the summer's over and we can have our own meal with John and your grandparents, how about that?"

"Oh, okay, well, have fun Sweetheart," Randy said a little downhearted that their conversation was already coming to an end. "John says Happy Birthday as well by the way. I will. I love you, too; enjoy your birthday. Bye."

Randy hit the end button and let the phone drop onto the sofa. He hated that he was so far away from his daughter on the day she turned sixteen. Fathers were meant to be there for their daughters. Instead he was on the other side of the country because her mother was having a honeymoon.

"You okay?" John said as he wrapped his arms around Randy's neck from behind. Randy rested his hand on John's big arms and simply nodded. He couldn't look at him otherwise John's worried eyes might make the tears flow.

"Alanna says 'thank you' for the birthday wishes and for the necklace, she loved it," Randy said coughing when his voice came out hoarse.

"I'm glad; I always struggle with what to get her," John said wrapping his arms tighter around Randy. "Want to get out of here?"

"Sure, I just need to get my gym gear sorted," Randy said pulling out of John's embrace.

Walking through the living room to the large entranceway, Randy saw his bag already waiting to go. He looked back to John with a quizzical look.

"And I've put the dishes in the dishwasher and put the laundry on, aren't I clever," John commented at Randy's look.

Randy grabbed the bag and opened it up, smirking as he found his old wrestling trunks and nothing else in his bag.

"Again?" Randy sneered. "John I'm not working out in my wrestling gear."

"But you look so sexy," John pouted trying to get Randy to smile. When he didn't work, he relented "It's fine, I've got your proper gear in my bag. You can check if you like."

Not trusting John's childish behaviour, Randy went over to the bag and yanked it open only to find a second pair of trunks.

"Those were always my favourite pair," John commented as Randy pulled out the black trucks with red design. "Like sin walking."

Randy simply shook his head as he went upstairs to get his proper workout gear. He knew John was trying to get him to smile and he should probably try but he wasn't in the mood for his childish behaviour.

He went over to the dresser in their bedroom and pulled a t-shirt and basketball shorts. Not sure how far John was taking his messing around; Randy also grabbed a pair of sneakers from the wardrobe, just in case. He didn't want to be trying to work out in his socks.

When he got back downstairs he went out and met John at the garage. John was leant up against his Ford Mustang waiting for Randy.

"You know I was only joking, right?" John asked, not wanting to make Randy's day worse.

Randy walked over to John, cupping his face and kissed him gently on the lips, "I know. I'm sorry."

Randy went around to the passenger side and got in as John started his car, taking them out on the road.

Their day passed quietly as John stopped off at JC Fitness to check on how everything was going. John much preferred being at Hard Nock's than JC Fitness, solely because of his lifting, but he wanted to have somewhere more approachable to the general public. They caught up with the manager and had a long chat. John went over the paperwork that needed to be looked at, taking some with him that would require a closer look.

Once they were finished in the office, they stopped off at a local cafe to grab a mid-morning snack before heading over to Hard Nock's Hell. As soon as they arrived John was talking with his best friend Rob about his training regime, so Randy went back to the locker room to change. When he came out, Randy received a wolf-whistle from John, without even looking up he simply showed him the finger and continued to the weights.

They were there most of the afternoon, taking their time with their programmes, enjoying banter with each other as well as the other patrons of the gym. When Randy finished his programme, he went over to John who was on the bench press, taking over spotting from Rob.

"How am I supposed to concentrate with you there?" John chuckled.

"Just be grateful I looked in the bag, otherwise you'd be cumming in your shorts right about now, darling," Randy said without a second thought.

"Could you at least wait until I'm out of earshot," Rob complained as he was walking past.

John and Randy simply laughed as Rob walked away shaking his head.

"Come on, darling, two more and then I'm taking you home," Randy said encouraging John with a knowing look.

John suddenly found the energy to lift the 300lbs. Randy smiled, he loved that John was still able to lift large weights. He knew they weren't what he was lifting ten years ago but the weights were still impressive.

Once the two reps were done, Randy helped him put the weights back on the stand as John caught his breath.

"Okay, I'm all yours," John said, still a little breathless.

"Good, cause we're going home, and you are going in the shower," Randy said walking round and offering his hand to John to pull him up from the bench. "You stink."

"Hey," John complained as Randy turned. He slapped Randy on the ass before he walked back to the locker room to grab his street clothes.

"That's your retort? You used to be wittier than that," Randy smirked.

The drive home was peaceful and Randy was happier than when they'd left that morning. he still wished that he could spend time with his daughter on her day but he couldn't beat himself up about the situation when it wasn't his fault.

When they got to the house, Randy went in ahead of John, who was parking the car, and noticed their answer phone flashing. He hit the play button as he dropped his bag at the bottom of the staircase.

"Dad, it's me, Alanna, can you call when you get this," the young girl's voice said over the speaker.

"Dad, it's me again, where are you? Call me please," a second message played, this time Alanna was sounding a little mad at him. Before he had chance to pick the phone up a third message started to play.

"Dad, I thought you would've called me by now, please," Randy's heart wrenched as he heard the sobbing voice of his daughter on the answerphone.

He grabbed the phone and dialled the number he'd put on the telephone stand in case he needed to ring them while they were away. As the phone rang, John came in and he explained about the messages.

"Yes, I'd like to speak with Alanna Orton… she's my daughter… Al, sweetie, what's the matter?" he asked as soon as he was put through to her room. "I'm sorry, I was out all day; John and I were at the gym."

Randy walked into the living area as he listened to Alanna sob; he couldn't believe his little girl was this upset on her sixteenth birthday.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart. I'm sure they didn't mean to. What about your meal tonight, is that still happening?" Randy asked. "I know but at least you get to celebrate, even if it wasn't what you planned."

Randy sat down in the chair where he stood as Alanna continued to sob into the phone.

"Al, please try and calm down; I hate that you're so upset and I can't be there to cheer you up," Randy pleaded. "I'm not saying you're overreacting sweetheart but I can't do anything where I am, you know that."

Randy raked his hand over his head, frustrated that he couldn't calm his daughter down.

"Hell, no," he suddenly shouted, his eyes lighting up at the suggestion from his daughter. "Of course I wouldn't mind, and John wouldn't either, I'm sure."

John came over as he heard his name mentioned; Randy looked over to him, smiling, "You wouldn't mind if Al came and lived with us, would you?"

"No, of course not," John said, happy his partner was excited again. "We've got plenty of space."

"See," Randy said to his daughter. "Listen, let me ring and speak to your mom, and we'll discuss it again tomorrow. I don't want you rushing into this; it means you'll be moving away from all your friends and family."

Randy continued to smile as he heard his daughter brighten up for the first time since he'd made the call.

"Alright, Al. I love you too. Enjoy your meal, and don't mention this to your mom, let me speak to her later. I love you. Bye."

Randy put the phone down on the coffee table and collapsed further into the chair. John came round from where he stood and draped himself over Randy's lap.

"Happy now?" John asked grinning at Randy's giddiness.

"Extremely," Randy said pulling John into his arms.

They sat like that for over five minutes, Randy already making plans, which room would be Alanna's, which school she would need to be enrolled in. John tried to calm him down without upsetting him; he wanted him to be cautious, just in case Sam wouldn't agree to the move.

"Tell me something, Mr. Cena," Randy said, noticing the tea-towel draped over John's shoulder. "Why are you sporting a towel as a fashion accessory?"

"Oh, shit, dinner," John said, jumping up from his spot on Randy's lap. Randy chuckled at John's behaviour until he realised what John said.

"Wait, you tried to cook?" he asked jumping up and jogging to catch John before he burnt the house down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone for the response on this story so far… just a short chapter this time… thanks again.**

A couple of days passed since he spoke with Alanna on the phone, and Randy was still buzzing. He'd talked Sam into letting Alanna move down to Florida to live with John and him. At first Sam had been resistant, considering Alanna had asked out of the blue, but after speaking with Alanna, Sam rang Randy and agreed.

Once Alanna was back in St Louis, she'd pack up everything she needed to bring with her and she'd hop on another plane and fly down to Tampa where Randy would meet her at the airport.

As soon as Randy finished his phone call with Sam he called the airline and booked a one-way ticket for his daughter. Once everything was set he grabbed John and kissed him, sharing his happiness.

John was happy for Randy and loved seeing him so animated, it was the first time he'd seen it since he'd found out Sam was taking Alanna to L.A. and he wouldn't be able to see her.

Regardless of how happy he was for Randy, John was a little anxious that Alanna was moving in with them. He would never deny Randy the chance, and he himself loved Alanna like she was his own daughter but there was always a barrier between the two which he never seemed to be able to break through.

As much as Randy tried to shield him from it, John knew Alanna was comfortable with their chosen lifestyle, especially considering they were publicly known. Although Alanna grew up knowing her father was gay, it didn't stop the kids at school, starting at her and both Randy and John seriously considered calling it quits to save her from the torment.

They'd even taken a break from their relationship for a couple of months in early 2013, but when they couldn't keep away from each other, they knew they would just have to support Alanna as best they could. John often wondered if Alanna resented him in a small way because of the situation. He himself had often blamed himself for the break-up of Randy's marriage only for Randy to deny it, and explain he and Sam had drifted apart over the previous year as he was learning more about himself.

John was sat in their office, going over the plans from JC Fitness, looking at how he could expand and include a swimming pool in the property. He was negotiating with the owner of the building to rent the first floor of the building as well as the ground level so he could move the cardio machines up a level and have the pool downstairs with the reception point and changing rooms.

"Johnny, where are you?" Randy called from the staircase.

"In the office, honey," John shouted back.

Randy came in and pulled a chair up to the side of the desk so he could sit and talk with John as he worked.

"Still working out if you can afford the pool?" Randy asked.

"I know I can afford the pool, it's whether the owner will let me have the space," John confirmed. "I was just thinking about other possibilities if he won't."

"Like what?" Randy asked.

"Moving the gym," John said shrugging. "Maybe just opening a separate business."

Randy nodded, liking the second idea more than the first. He knew John could potentially lose business if he moved the JC's and he wouldn't want that for his lover.

"Means hiring more people though," Randy reminded him.

"I know, but I'd still need to hire more people at JC's, proper lifeguards and swimming instructors for the youngsters. I'm just thinking it would probably be easier in the long run."

"You think it's financially sound? I take it, it would be in Tampa as well, it would be a challenge considering there are beaches and other swimming pools around already," Randy said hinting at the considerations John was no doubt already thinking about.

"I know, it's just one possibility, I'm still holding out on getting the space at the gym before I even contemplate it anymore," John said rubbing the back of his neck and sighing as he took it all in.

Randy moved his chair so it was behind John's and took his shoulders in his hands, massaging the tight knots from John's body. John's head lolled forward, enjoying the feeling of Randy's hands at work and moaned lightly. Randy smirked at the ease of getting John to relax.

"Want to hear what I was thinking?" Randy said as John's eyes shut, savouring Randy's touch.

"Not if it has anything to do with a gym, or swimming pool, or anything business related," John muttered.

"Nope," Randy chuckled. "It's about my favourite topic at the moment."

John's grin spread across his face as Randy's voice went slightly high pitched through his giddiness.

"What did you think of now?" John asked laughing at his boyfriend's obsessive nature.

"We need to decorate her room," Randy said. "It's pink; she hasn't been in to pink since she was six. She'll hate it if she comes here and sees it like that."

"She won't hate it," John chuckled. "She's choosing to come down here, not being forced. She'll just be glad to be with her dad."

Randy shook his head, even though John couldn't see. He just wanted everything to be perfect and that included the room she was going to be staying in.

"I was thinking we could head to the D-I-Y store and get some supplies. I don't know whether to paint, paper, or both," Randy said starting to witter. "I know she likes yellows, greens, and blues; do you think I should call her and see which she would prefer?"

"Honey-"

"I think I will actually," Randy said jumping up from his seat and heading out into the hallway to grab the phone.

John chuckled to himself once more, shaking his head at Randy's childlike behaviour. He tried to go back to his plans, checking all his figures to see which would be the best option, but ended up putting the paperwork away planning on coming back to it later. There was something about Alanna moving in which was unsettling him; he didn't want to say anything to Randy but he couldn't shake the feeling. But each and every time he tried, just for Randy, there was no doubting their feelings for one another, and John wasn't going to do anything to throw a spanner in the works.

He left the office and went on the hunt for Randy, following the sound of his voice until he found him sat out on the steps leading down to their pool in the backyard. John took a seat on the step and led back so his head was resting on Randy's lap. He smiled up at Randy lacing his fingers with Randy's when Randy automatically rested his hand on John's chest.

John closed his eyes, soaking in the sun as he listened to Randy talking with his daughter, about everything she was doing in L.A. and then what they could do together when she came down to Florida. If there was one thing he loved more than anything else about Randy, it was the love and commitment he showed to his loved ones. John knew one day he was going to ask Randy to marry him, but before he could do that, he was going to have to win over Alanna, and close the distance that stood between them. Maybe now she was coming to Florida, it was his chance.

"Okay, bye, sweetheart; give me a call when you're about to get on the plane. I love you too," Randy said wrapping up the phone call.

"So are we going with green, yellow or blue?" John asked without opening his eyes.

"She liked the idea of both yellow and green, but she wants pale shades," Randy said tapping John's shoulders telling him to get up. "Come on, time to go shopping. I was thinking we could go shopping for some others bits and pieces as well."

"Like what?" John asked pulling Randy up from the step.

"A housewarming gift for her; she mentioned a couple of months ago she doesn't have a laptop. She's about to start high school, maybe this is the time to get her one, especially at a new school as well."

"Sounds like a plan," John said grabbing the keys to his Dodge Viper Pickup.

"I also think we need to get some food in, I noticed when I was cooking breakfast we're getting low on some of the essentials," Randy mentioned.

"That's an idea, we need to stock up for the barbeque, you know how much Cody eats these days," John said reminding Randy that their friends were coming by in a few days.

As they reached the garage, Randy pushed John up against his truck and trapped him so he couldn't get away.

"You sure you're okay with Al coming here?" Randy asked. "I know I've been going on about it for the last couple of days.

John let his hands go straight to Randy's hips, before travelling up underneath the loose shirt, resting on Randy's lower back, running over the tanned skin.

"Randy, you have lost so much time with your daughter, for me," John said giving Randy a peck on the lips. "Of course, I'm okay with Al coming here. It'll give us both a chance to spend some time with her."

Randy leant in and claimed John's lips softly.

"Thank you," he said before claiming John's lips once more. He moaned when John let his hands travel further up his back, gripping his shirt as they moved up.

Randy pressed his body against John, pushing him further against the car, causing John to moan in return. He took the moment to let his tongue slip into John's mouth, searching over the hot cavern. He held John's head as he continued to explore John's mouth. When he started to get short of breath, he moved his lips to John's jawline and followed it along taking John's earlobe into his mouth, biting down gently.

"Jesus, Honey, what's got in to you?" John asked his breath gone from his lungs.

"Mmm, it's more about, what I want to get into you," Randy clarified with a seductive tone as his lips travelled down John's neck, gripping at the edge of John's shirt, pushing it up as he let his fingers rake over John's sides.

"Fuck," John groaned as Randy ground his hips against John. "Honey, we've got to stop."

Randy didn't listen and continued to attack John's neck, sucking and biting, causing John to moan again as he marked his neck where everyone could see.

"Why? I'm enjoying you," Randy said finally letting go of John's neck only to push his top further up and pull it off. "And you're enjoying it as well, you didn't even fight me."

Randy threw John's top in the back of the pickup and took a step back to admire John's body.

"If we don't leave now, we won't make it to the D-I-Y store, it closes in an hour, and you still need to choose the actual colours," John said catching his breath as Randy started pouting.

"Fine, but your ass is mine tonight," Randy said reaching over for John's top throwing it at him as he made his way round to the driver's side.

"Isn't it always," John commented as they climbed into the truck.

As they pulled out, John caught sight of something in the side mirror and slammed on the brakes.

"Did you have to mark me?" John asked, exasperated and amused at Randy's actions.

"I was enjoying the taste of you," Randy said as his head rested against the seat, his eyes glazing over as he remembered the taste. "There's only one thing better."

"You are a bad man, Orton."

"You wouldn't have me any other way, darling."


	4. Chapter 4

"Johnny, darling, Codes is here," Randy shouted up to the bedroom where John was lying in bed.

"Five more minutes," he heard John grumble loudly in response.

"Darling, if you don't get up I'm not cooking you breakfast," Randy threatened as he led Cody up to one of the spare rooms.

"I'll still get some though, right?" Cody asked.

Randy looked over his shoulder and registered the worried and serious look on Cody's face and chuckled.

"Codes, we got extra in, just for you," Randy snickered. "I'm going to piss John off so he gets up."

Randy left Cody, walked along the hallway and entered the master suite. He shook his head, both amused and annoyed at John's behaviour. He had his whole body covered by the sheets and if Randy didn't think he was so cute he would've pulled the sheet off the bed there and then.

In his quest to stay in bed as long as possible, John had stretched out across th mattress and his head, from what Randy could tell, was now buried in the pillows on Randy's side of the bed.

Randy moved around the bed and crouched down by his nightstand.

"Darling, you've got to get up," he pushed gently.

"I'm too comfy," John murmured back, still not moving an inch.

Randy gently took hold of the sheet and peeled it back so he could see John's face. His eyes were shut tight but not scrunched and a pout was starting to form. If Randy wasn't already in love with the man, then he would've been from that moment on. Even though he knew John was playing him, his heart melted.

"Darling, please get up, I was going to make pancakes, they're your favourite," Randy said, pleading for John to get up.

When John started pulling on the sheets to try and cover his head again, Randy admitted defeat. He moved away from the bed and walked into the en suite. He turned on the shower, making sure to adjust the temperature gage, before returning to John.

"Okay, you did this to yourself," Randy warned.

He grabbed John's sheets and whipped them off his body before John realised what happened. Randy threw the sheets on the floor and took hold of John's ankles, pulling him to the corner of the bed.

John was gripping at the mattress trying to stop him, but Randy had already pulled him far enough to wrap his arms around John's waist and heave him from the bed.

"How are you still so freakishly strong?" John asked as he was trying to kick his way out of Randy's grip.

"Because," Randy said, carrying him into the en suite. "I get up in the morning."

Randy threw John into the shower only to have him instinctively trying to jump back out as the freezing cold water struck his body.

"Shit, Randy, you ass," John yelled as Randy shoved him back in the shower.

"Now you're up," Randy quipped as he noticed the effect the cold water was having on John.

John turned away from him to adjust the temperature of the shower, and when he turned back to face Randy, a smirk was spreading across his face

"You going to let the room get all wet?" John asked as he tugged on Randy's shirt, pulling him into the shower.

"Hey, Teddy, you made it finally," Cody cried as he launched himself into Ted, wrapping his arms around his friend.

"Cody, I saw you last night," Ted commented as he wrapped his own arm around Cody's waist.

He pulled back when he realised he was holding Cody, his best friend, a little too close for a little too long.

"Not that I mind, but why are you greeting me? Where's John and Randy?" Ted asked as he pulled his suitcase from the rental car.

"Randy went to wake John up," Cody said, as though Ted should know exactly what he meant without explaining it further.

Ted shrugged his shoulders as he passed his carry-on bag to Cody.

"That was an hour ago," Cody stated with wide eyes.

Ted stopped in his tracks and looked at Cody as though he didn't believe him. Cody just stared back, telling him without words that he was being honest.

"Well, they're living together, it's their house, guess we can't complain," Ted said moving toward the house.

"I was in the guest room," Cody said, his eyes starting to bug out of their sockets.

"Did you hear anything?" Ted asked opening the door.

"No," Cody said, his relief clear in his voice.

"Come on, we'll wait for them in the living room," Ted said putting his suitcase by the staircase. He grabbed Cody's hand, pulling him along.

"If they get loud, you're taking me out for breakfast. I still haven't eaten anything."

Ted laughed at Cody's childish behaviour. His best friend could always be counted on to bring up the topic of food and his unfathomable hunger.

The pair sat down at opposite end of the sofa and stretched out. When Ted felt his feet resting against Cody's he suddenly pulled back as though he'd done something wrong.

"Sorry," he said, not making eye contact.

He couldn't understand why he felt the heat rushing to his face as though he was blushing.

"That's alright," Cody said turning away to grab the remote he spotted sat on the coffee table. "Movie?"

"Sure," Ted answered.

Now he knew why he heat felt like it was going to his face, he_ was _blushing. He felt like he did the first time he'd met Kristen's parents and somehow managed to brush his hand against Kristen's breast. No one had noticed but he knew it happened and his face went as red as a beetroot.

Cody flicked through the channels finally deciding on the X-Men Origins: Wolverine film. Ted groaned as he thought about watching the film again. Cody was obsessed with X-Men even though the whole franchise was dated now. He could sympathise with Randy, since John was exactly the same with Star Wars, and those films were even older.

"Come on, it's a classic," Cody chirped seeing Ted rolling his eyes.

Ted relented and sat back to watch the film. For some reason, Ted found himself discreetly watching Cody as the movie played through. He watched as different emotions worked across Cody's face. Laughter, because Cody liked Wolverine's sarcasm. Anger, or was it hurt, when Viktor killed the girlfriend. Ted even thought he saw lust in Cody's eyes during Hugh Jackman's naked scenes.

"You're looking hot," Cody said snapping Ted out of his thoughts.

"What?" Ted asked as he only heard the last word.

"I said, you're looking hot, do you want the air-conditioning on?"

"No, no, I'm good," Ted said embarrassed at getting caught. "I just need a drink, do you want one?"

"No, I'll have something to eat though," Cody said returning to the film.

"I'm not rai-" Ted started to say but stopped when he thought he heard something.

"What?" Cody asked.

"Nothing, I just thou-"

"FUCK… RANDY… FUCK…"

"Want to get out of here?" Ted said already heading for the door.

"Yes," Cody said running ahead of Ted to the rental car.

Ted and Cody ended up spending a couple of hours at the nearest shopping mall killing time. After the loud and explosive yelling coming from upstairs, neither man wanted to return back to Casa del Cena/Orton for fear of walking in on round-god-knows-which.

Came the end though, they couldn't put it off any longer and they returned to John and Randy's.

Tentatively, Ted opened the door, with Cody clinging to his shirt in the process.

"Hello," Ted said quietly before stepping inside.

"JOHNNY," Randy called breaking the silence.

"Oh hell no," Cody said gripping tighter to Ted's shirt.

"Darling, where did you put the salad ingredients? I need to prepare it when you're doing the meat."

Ted felt Cody relax behind him and his shirt loosened as Cody let go of him.

Ted cocked his head indicating for Cody to follow him in. Cody, almost shyly, stayed a step behind him, as though using Ted as a shield; and Ted was more than willing to do so, though he still wasn't sure why he was having these reactions all day.

Ted led Cody into the kitchen where Randy was stood with his head in the fridge, pulling out the salad.

"Hey, the wanderers return," Randy said as he turned around and saw the pair. "Where'd you go, anyway?"

"We just went to the mall," Ted replied, not expanding on why they went.

Randy made his way around the kitchen island and gave Ted a brotherly hug.

"How you doing Ted?" Randy asked returning to his salad preparations.

"Good."

"Codes, you should've said Ted was here," Randy said not looking at Cody as John walked in at that very moment.

"Hey Ted, how's i-"

"You are kidding," Cody snapped. "You said you were going to make John get up; I was here by myself for an hour, then Teddy gets here and he convinces me to stick around, then less than an hour later, we hear him screaming; and you wanted me to let you know?"

All three men stared at Cody after his outburst. It was unlike him to rant since usually he was straight and to the point.

"I didn't scream," John said after half a minute's silence.

"Yes, you did," the others said in unison.

"…multiple times," Randy said in John's ear as he walked by.

John came out of the en suite in his pyjama bottoms and made his way to the bed where Randy was sat against the headboard, reading glasses on with his nose stuck in a book.

"You are so the wife of this relationship," John quipped as he crawled into bed, curling up against Randy.

"May I point out two things," Randy said without looking up from his book. "First, I'm not the one curling up against their partner, resting his head on said partner's chest."

John smirked at Randy's comment and curled in even closer; smiling when Randy immediately put his free arm around his shoulders.

"And second?" John asked.

"I fucked your ass three times this morning," he commented finally looking away from his book. "Now why did you think I was the wife?"

"Because you're always sat up in bed reading," John said shrugging his shoulders, seeming a tad disappointed with his reasoning.

"It's Stephen King, it's a great book," Randy quibbled.

He could see something was bothering John so he put his book down on the nightstand; pulling John off of him momentarily, so he could lie down, he then pulled John back against him, holding him close.

"What you thinking? I can see the clogs turning," Randy said, gently tip-tapping his fingers on the side of John's head.

"I just, I don't know," John mumbled. "Something seemed off with Ted tonight."

"Like what?" Randy asked.

"I don't know; like he was uncomfortable around us," John said, hurt and confusion coming off him in waves.

"Darling, Ted's known us since before we were together; I don't think he'd uncomfortable around us," Randy said trying to soothe his partner.

"I guess; but there was something wrong though," John stated.

John pulled out of Randy's hold slightly and flipped over so his back was resting against Randy's chest. Randy let his hands travel down John's big arms and across the back of his hands before interlocking their fingers.

He lay there for a couple of minutes playing with John's fingers, tenderly running his fingertips along John's skin. He knew simply lying in one another's arms would help relax John and settle his mind.

"Do you want to know what I noticed today?" Randy asked quietly.

"Hmm?" John asked, answering Randy without actually saying anything.

"Cody was practically attached to Ted all night," Randy said his voice full of innuendo.

"Really?" John asked intrigued. "I didn't notice."

"Maybe I was just seeing things, but I swear Cody was hanging off every word," Randy explained. "Makes me wonder how much time they've been spending together."

"Do you think maybe that's what I was picking up on?" John asked.

"Could be," Randy said, raising John's arm and wrapping it around his neck.

John tilted his head back to look at Randy and smiled.

"I like you in glasses, they make you look smart," John said, smiling.

"Was that a compliment? Because I could easily take it as an insult," Randy played with John.

"It was a compliment," John chuckled as he realised what he said.

"Good," Randy said, kissing along John's bicep.

"Like what you see?"

"Yeah, and they look even better when I'm wearing my glasses."

John chuckled again, flexing his muscles for Randy.

"Sexy," Randy breathed in John's ear.

John moaned a little as a shudder ran through his body from one word being said in his ear. There was something about Randy's voice that turned him on; but what turned him on even more was that Randy was his and his alone.

"Honey," John whined when Randy kissed his way along his bicep again. "Please."

"Uh-uh," Randy muttered, stopping his assault. "I wore you out this morning. Rob would have my neck if you couldn't do anything at the gym tomorrow."

"Honey," John whined again.

"Come on," Randy said adjusting John so he was back on his front, resting against Randy's chest.

Once they were settled Randy reached over and hit the switch to turn the lights off. He snuggled down into John and held him tight.

"Night, honey."

"Night, darling. I love you," Randy said softly.

"You are so the wife; always wanting affirmation," John quipped quietly as they settled down for the night.


	5. Chapter 5

"Honey, what's going on?" John asked as he walked into the kitchen too find Randy setting up candles for their meal.

"No, no, no, you weren't supposed to be back for another hour. I haven't got everything ready," Randy mildly complained coming over and kissing John on the cheek.

John smiled brightly as he held on to Randy's arm, keeping him close.

"Are we having a romantic meal tonight?" John asked. "What's this in aid of?"

"I just thought, with Al coming tomorrow; we probably won't get much alone time, so…" he said indicating the romantic set up. "But you went and spoilt it by coming home early."

John slid an arm around Randy's waist and as the other snaked up around his neck, prompting the taller man to lean down into a kiss. It started soft as John captured Randy's lips between his and tugged causing him to moan. John took the opportunity to slip his tongue in and explore Randy's mouth, slowly, making the man melt in his arms. He savoured the taste of his lips and tongue, devouring his mouth, regardless of his need for air.

"Do you want me to disappear for an hour?" he asked, breaking the kiss and taking a couple of deep breaths.

"No," Randy said seizing John in his arms and drawing him in for a more heated kiss.

John moaned loudly in Randy's mouth, not expecting the sudden onslaught of his lips. Relaxing into Randy's arms he let him ravish his mouth, tongues smashing together, feeding off one another. Randy gripped John's hips and started tugging on his belt loops moving them toward the kitchen island. When Randy backed into the unit, he spun them around and shoved John up against it, never breaking the kiss, and causing John to moan at the jolt that went through him.

"Stay," Randy ordered his voice full of lust, breathing heavy in John's ear.

Randy went round to the cooker and switched all the hobs off and turned the oven down low so the meat continued to cook. He sauntered back round to where John sat patiently waiting, and recaptured his lips briefly.

"Dinner's going to have to wait," he said as he grabbed fistfuls of John's shirt, thrusting his tongue in his mouth and yanking him in the direction of the stairs.

They stumbled through the kitchen, banging into the doorway as Randy ran his hands down John's front, and slid them under John's shirt, pushing it up out the way as he groped at the skin underneath. Randy pushed John up against the wall in the large entranceway and ripped John's shirt up an over his head so he could get better access to the skin he was in dire need of touching.

When John went to slide his hands under the back of Randy's shirt, his arms were captured and thrust against the wall.

"I didn't tell you, you could play," Randy breathed antagonising John with his commands. "Promise to be a good puppy?"

John groaned at Randy's actions as his hips were grinding against him, his arms pinned against the wall so he couldn't break free.

"Yes," John said breathless.

"Yes what?"

"Yes, honey, I promise," he said panting.

"Promise what?"

"I promise to be a good puppy," John said getting excited. He loved it when Randy took control of him. Ever since they got together, John played the submissive lover, and he loved it.

"Now let me see if you listened this morning," Randy said as he let go of John's arms, giving him a stern look, warning him not to lower them. He trailed his fingertips down John's arms, over the collar bone and done his sternum.

When they reached his nipples, Randy tweaked them both at the same time, causing John to yelp, like the puppy he was, from the sudden jolt of pain. Randy ignored the yelp, simply giving John his trademark sadistic grin, and let his fingertips trail further down, roughly grazing over his abs before resting against the waistband of John's jeans.

"Am I going to be pleased with you Johnny, or did you ignore my instruction?" Randy asked, pressing his lips as close to John's ear as he could while he spoke. His breath hard any heavy.

When Randy pulled back his sadistic grin returned as he saw John's eyes shut tight in lustful abandon. He let his fingers trail back across John's stomach muscles before once again taking hold of John's pants. He made John look him in the eye as he popped the button of his jeans. When he pulled the zip slowly down, John sighed as his hard member was released from the confines.

"Good puppy," he said as he slipped his hand into John's pants to grip to his cock. He stood in front of John one hand steading himself on the wall by John's head, the other slowly stroking John. Randy watched John's reactions every time he tugged on his member. Something he would never get used to, even if he were with John for the rest of his life, would be how he made Randy feel like some sex god who could make you explode into bliss with just one touch.

"I feel like I'm doing something very wrong to you Johnny," Randy whispered in his ear. "Trapping you against the wall, taking advantage of you."

John stood there, shaking his head and thrusting his hips, silently begging for more.

"What is it, darling? Talk to me," he said as quiet as before.

"You're… you're not… I want this," John panted through his pleasure.

Randy sank in and took John's lips in between his again, kissing him as softly as they did in the kitchen as he continued to stroke his member, slowing his touch so not to push John too quick; he wanted this to last.

"Why do I want to go easy on you tonight?" Randy asked as he let John take a breath. He slipped his lips across John's jawline and down to his neck. "Can I mark you again, darling?"

John shook his head, unable to speak to explain.

"Why not?" Randy seethed. Unhappy John was denying him.

"Tomorrow."

"Spoil my fun," Randy growled, nipping gently at John's skin.

"Randy… Honey," John gasped as he stopped Randy's hand. "Take me to bed. I want you to make love to me, please."

"Mmm," Randy moaned. "You want it nice and slow darling? Don't want me to be rough with you tonight?"

"Later, you can, I promise, I want that too. I just want to cum," he said locking eyes with Randy. "I want to feel you buried deep inside me."

Randy let go of John's member and gently ran his hand up the side of John's torso and he gently delved his tongue into John's mouth, tangling together with his as his hands cupped his face.

He pressed his body against John's as they melted into one another again. As John wrapped his arms around Randy's neck, Randy let his hands fall back to John's sides gradually moving further down. When John moaned into his mouth, Randy's hands ran around to John's ass and grabbed him gently, lifting his body so he was stood on tip toes. Needing to be closer Randy's hands moved even further down and lifted John from the floor, wrapping his legs around his waist, grinding into John at the same time.

"Upstairs?" Randy asked between kisses, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

"Don't," he said kissing Randy in between words. "Tease."

Randy smirked into the never ending kisses and stepped back from the wall, turning to head to the staircase.

"Do you reckon you get me up there?" John asked, wiggling his eyebrows at Randy.

"Is that a challenge?"

"It is; just remember you promised to make love to me and I would like you to have the energy once we get up there."

"I think I can make it," Randy quipped, winking at John.

"Even with me doing this," John said as he attached his lips to Randy's neck. John's kissing, licking and nibbling was stirring Randy and he had to stop himself chucking John onto the stairs and taking him then and there. When John didn't stop his attack, Randy reminded him of his own words. "No marking."

"What happens if I already did?" John joked.

"Then you're dealing with the explaining and the embarrassment, tomorrow," Randy said sternly. "By the way, I won the challenge."

John pulled away from Randy's neck to see they'd made it up the stairs. They'd even made it to the bedroom without him noticing. He unclasped his legs from around Randy's waist and took hold of Randy's hand, leading him over to the bed.

Randy sank down on his knees as John stood near the edge of the bed. Randy caught hold of John's jeans and slowly pulled them down, kissing his way down his right thigh before moving across to the left to work his way back up.

"You said something about making love," Randy commented as John sat down on the edge of the bed.

Randy rose up so he was kneeling in between John's legs and immediately started kissing his lover once again. Maybe it was because he was hungry but he couldn't get enough of John's lips tonight; and as long as John wasn't complaining he was going to take advantage.

As he slipped his tongue into John's mouth, he lowered John's back down onto the bed. He crawled on top of the man and pulled him further onto the bed as he pressed his body against John's, causing the man to groan.

"You're wearing too much," John commented as he continued kissing Randy, clawing his fingertips across his head.

"Then undress me."

John immediately came alive and pushed Randy onto his back and climbed on top of him, pinning his arms to the bed.

"Do I get to play?" John asked getting excited.

Randy groaned as John held him down and a smile spread across his face.

"Undress me first and I'll see," Randy said, not giving anything away. If John wanted to play then he would have to earn it. John caught Randy's lips again and kissed him hard and quick.

As soon as John released Randy's lips his hands went straight to the hem of his shirt, pushing it up and over his abs. He raked his nails along Randy's abs causing Randy to try and stifle a groan. As soon as the groan was past his lips, John was smiling again and Randy realised what he must look like when he was having evil thoughts.

John bent his head down and kissed each of Randy's abs. Within seconds of kissing the abs, John then bathed them, running his tongue across each one as though it were his favourite food. Once he was finished with his abs, John skated his lips over Randy's torso and latched on to his nipple, biting and sucking on the pert nub.

Detaching from the nipple, John tugged on Randy's shirt and pulled it off over his head before returning and treating Randy's other nipple to the same treatment as he pinned his arms to the mattress once more.

The longer John spent attacking his nipples, the more Randy was writhing under him. He started thrusting his hips up into John's, trying to get him to release his cock which was starting to strain against his pants.

Randy couldn't hold back the groan as John suddenly palmed his cock through his pants.

"Fuck, Johnny," Randy groaned as his hips lifted from the bed as much as John's body would allow. John chuckled at Randy's reaction and continued stroking him through his pants. "Fuck."

Sensing his need for release, John released the button on Randy's pants and watched as the zip hissed open and released his rock hard member.

"God, that is so sexy," John breathed as he watched.

"What?" Randy asked trying not to show he was panting.

"How your big cock just pushes the zip open."

"There's something else I wish it would push open… and it's going to soon enough," Randy said, as he watched the realisation flood John's face.

John moved down the bed, gripping the waistband of Randy's pants and pulling them off as he made his way down the bed. He kissed his way back up Randy's legs, and without any warning, he licked his way up Randy's shaft and kissed the head, causing Randy to thrust up and push into John's mouth.

Randy instinctively grabbed the back of John's head to keep him in place, ignoring the small moan coming from John, enjoying the sensation it was causing too much to care, only letting him up when he needed to breathe.

"Do I get to play?" John asked eagerly looking up at Randy.

"You get to suck me off, that's what you get to do," Randy said pushing John back down onto his cock.

John took him back in and worked his mouth down Randy's shaft so he was pushing at the back of his throat.

"Swallow me," Randy ordered and John willingly complied. "Oh God, yeah… that's it, darling… I'm getting closer, darling… keep going… oh God, yes… fuck."

John pulled off Randy's member and moved up his body to look him in the eye.

"You said you'd make love to me," he reminded him.

"And I also said you had to undress me and I'd let you know if you could play," Randy said. "You went straight to playing."

John cowered from the look he was receiving from Randy. He couldn't help enjoying the taste of Randy's skin, and it turned him on to think of what Randy would do to him. Something inside of him though just wanted Randy to lie him down and make slow, passionate love to him.

"Tell me you're sorry," Randy instructed him softly, cupping John's face.

"I'm sorry," John said looking away from Randy's eyes.

Randy made John look at him before he used his strength to flip the man onto his back. His hand travelled lightly over John's skin before leaving his body entirely and reaching over to the nightstand to grab the bottle of lube. As he was reaching over, John attached his lips to Randy's skin once more causing him to stop his motions briefly, revelling in John's ministrations.

"God, you do that so well," Randy moaned as he finally took hold of the lube. He moved backward and led on his side next to John, letting his fingertips travel across the skin. "You're beautiful, darling, do you know that?"

Randy looked deep into John's eyes, hoping his own were portraying the emotions he held within.

"Make love to me," John stated, stroking his thumb across Randy's cheek.

Randy leant in and brushed his lips against John's as he opened the bottle of lube and poured some onto his fingers. He moved his fingers so they were gently rubbing along John's opening.

"You ready?" Randy asked.

"Always."

Randy circled around John's entrance a few more times as he took possession of his lips distracting him from the initial twinge of pain.

He slowly pushed his index finger in and swallowed John's moans of pleasurable pain. After so many years together, Randy knew exactly how to make it as painless as possible for John every time they were together. He thrust his finger in and out as slow as possible; extending the pleasure for John. He gradually picked up speed as he broke the kiss so he could watch John get worked up.

"More, honey, please," John begged making Randy smile.

"Anything for you, darling," Randy said leaning in to attach his lips to John's collarbone. As he kissed the skin, Randy pulled his finger out and sank a second in, pushing in as far as he could hitting John's prostate directly, causing him to buck his hips off the bed. Randy smirked as he kept brushing John's hot spot. He skated his lips down to John's chest and started sucking on the skin above his nipple.

"Randy are you trying to kill me?" John moaned.

"No just letting everyone know you're mine," Randy quipped.

"Fuck, Randy I can't take it anymore, please I need you," John moaned loudly. "Wait… what did you just say?"

Randy stopped his actions on John's chest and gave him an evil smile, wiggling his eyebrows, mimicking John from earlier.

"You ass," John yelled, swatting Randy's arm as he realised Randy had marked him on his chest, while distracting him with his fingers.

"You were enjoying it," Randy countered pulling his fingers out from John, repositioning himself on top of his body. "I'll tell you what; to make it up to you, I'll let you choose how you want it."

"Really?" John asked eagerly.

"Really."

"Well, since you said I was a good puppy…" John hinted.

"You were a very good puppy," Randy said, climbing off John. "Now on your knees."

John flipped over and rose up onto his knees, Randy moving in behind him, kissing his way down John's spine, rubbing his hard member against John's entrance. He reached for the lube bottle and poured some more into his hand.

"Give me your hand, Johnny," Randy requested.

John knelt up and reached back, Randy took hold of his hand and gently moistened it with the lubricant. He moved John's hand to his cock and wrapped it around the shaft, keeping his own hand wrapped around to help set the pace he wanted.

"Feels good, darling," Randy moaned into John's ear. "It'll feel even better in a moment, when I sink it into your hot tight ass."

John groaned at Randy's words, wishing he'd hurry up and push into him already.

"Randy, no more, I need it."

"Impatient tonight, darling?"

Randy moved his hand away and let John's hand fall from his shaft so he could go back to being on his hands and knees. He moved to John's ass, lining up the head of his shaft with John's hole. Randy came over him, pressing in slowly as he kissed the back of John's shoulder, causing a low rumble from John. He took a moment to let John adjust, waiting for him to push back looking for more.

He ran his hands soothingly along John's sides and groaned when he felt John tentatively to slide back onto him.

"Mmm, Randy, honey… go on… I need more of you," he said letting Randy know to push in.

Randy thrust in, in one fluid motion causing both men to groan as his entire shaft was enveloped by John's insides. He pulled back and then thrust back in keeping the same pace as his original thrust, careful not to hit John's spot, as he continued to try and make it last as long as possible. Soon enough, John was writhing underneath him, trying to get Randy to speed up.

"Shit… Randy… please… faster… harder," John panted, unashamed that Randy had him begging for more.

"Mmm… I thought you wanted slow… passionate… love making," he moaned directly into John's ear as he leant over John's back, pushing in as deep as he could go in between each word, purposely drawing it out to make John squirm even more.

"Fuck that… and fuck me… hard," John said pushing back into Randy's thrusts.

"Then you better hold on," Randy instructed as he straightened up behind John, gripping onto his hips.

He pulled out nearly all the way and snapped his hips forward, thrusting his cock deep into John, hitting his spot, causing John to yell. He was thrusting harder and faster into John with every stroke making John louder and louder. He was thrusting so hard John reached out and grabbed the headboard to steady himself.

"Fuck… Randy… Oh god, yes… fuck… more," John begged, as the headboard slammed into the wall with each of Randy's trust.

The sight before him was fast pushing Randy to the brink.

"Johnny… fuck… you are so gorgeous when you beg," he said sliding his hand round from John's hip to grip his neglected cock.

"Shit… Randy, that's it… fuck… yes… oh god yes… keep going," John shouted, as Randy worked his cock as he continued to slam into him.

"Are you going to cum for me, Johnny?" Randy asked, pounding relentlessly into John's spot.

"Fuuuccckkk… yes… yes… fffuuuccckkk," John screamed as his load shot out over Randy's hand and onto the bed sheets.

Hearing John cum so hard and loud, gripping onto the headboard was enough to send any man over the edge and Randy was no exception as he thrust once more into John and came all over John's insides, collapsing down onto the bigger man's back, exhausted.

"Fuck, Johnny, you wear me out," he said panting as he and John collapsed to the mattress.

"Just in case you didn't notice, I was the one being drilled," John quipped, trying to catch his breath.

Randy slid off John's back and pulled the sheets up over their cooling bodies before running his fingers along John's spine.

"Awww, was I a bit rough with you… you did ask for it," Randy said smirking. "I was willing to go slow for once… you were the horndog who wanted more."

"Why do you think we make such a good pair?" John said. "I like to take it as rough as you like to give it."

Randy smirked and kissed John's hand before looking over to the nightstand to check the time.

"Dinner's going to be ruined," Randy said without remorse.

"I spoilt your romantic evening, didn't I?" John asked.

"No," Randy said. "I should've known I wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself once you got here."

John shifted under the sheets and rested against Randy's chest, encircling Randy's arms around his body so he was holding him tight.

"Do you want to order a takeaway and watch a movie?" Randy suggested.


	6. Chapter 6

"I told you to take the interstate once we hit Tampa, now look we're stuck in traffic," Randy complained as they headed to the airport to pick up Alanna.

"Honey, calm down," John said reaching over, running his hand along Randy's thigh to soothe him. "We left with over an hour to spare, plus Al said the flight was delayed anyway so we'll get there with plenty of time to spare."

Randy only grunted in return and John focused back on the road. Today was the day, Alanna was moving in with him and Randy. John had to admit, he was nervous. He wanted Randy happy, and this was making him ecstatic, he just hoped he and Alanna weren't too strained.

Over his years with Randy, he'd spent lots of time with her, but there was always a distance between them. Randy never referred to it and John half hoped he wasn't aware of the situation; though he knew he was silly to think that really. Randy had a sixth sense when it came to picking up on the thoughts of those closest to him. And there was nobody he was closer to than John and Alanna.

They travelled for another ten minutes before pulling into the short-term car park and John chuckled, as he had to jog to keep up with Randy as he went to the arrivals lounge. Randy checked the screen to check the time of Alanna's flight and then checked his watch. His shoulders sunk a little when he realised John was right in the car, they were going to be waiting nearly an hour until her flight landed.

John led him to the seating and pushed him down into a seat.

"I'm going to get us a drink, what do you want?"

"Anything," Randy said with a nonchalant attitude.

John smirked to himself and wandered off to the nearest café to purchase their drinks. He picked up a couple of snacks as well, figuring the would probably get hungry while they waited and Alanna may be peckish when she got in and with just under an hour's drive to get home, she may want something before then.

He returned to where Randy sat who had slumped a little in his seat and pulled his hat down a little lower; even after years of being away from the camera's both of them still got spotted when they were out and about. John always joked it was because of Randy's tattoos, since most fans recognised them immediately, since they were so distinctive.

John sat down close to Randy, who instinctively moved even closer, and he handed him one of the drinks. Randy took the lid off and immediately turned to John, grimacing at him.

"Seriously, you got me hot cocoa with whipped cream?" Randy asked with an almost sarcastic tone.

"You said anything," John replied shrugging his shoulders.

"I hate whipped cream," Randy commented.

"Well you know that's a bare-faced lie," John smirked, remembering good times. "I can remember at least five times in the last six months when yo-"

John stopped his comments when an older woman who was sat next to Randy, stood up from her seat, muttering about inappropriate behaviour and improper relations.

"I think you upset her," Randy said, finally letting a smile grace his face.

John grabbed the cup from Randy and switched it with the one he was nursing. Randy the lid off and looked inside to see a standard black coffee. He smiled again, this time at his boyfriend's way of trying to cheer him up. Not that he was feeling upset, just bored at having to wait for Alanna's flight to arrive.

"I was only going to say, when you've insisted on having it on top of your Jell-O," John grinned. "I can't help it the old woman likes it kinky and her mind wanders there automatically."

Randy leant his head against John's shoulder as they sat waiting, with still over forty minutes to go. Randy started bouncing his leg up and down, getting anxious and John simply reached down, placing his hand on the leg to stop him. Randy looked up at John who smiled sympathetically, trying to calm him.

"Do you think we should have decorated her en suite?" Randy suddenly asked.

"Are you kidding me? How would we have done that in a week?" John asked incredulously at Randy's suggestion. "Not to mention, the room hasn't even been used since the last time she was here, nearly a year ago."

"Oh, god, you're right… we should have had the plumbing checked. What if the pipes are shot?" Randy asked, panicking again.

"The pipes are fine, if there was going to be a problem, it would be in our bathroom or the kitchen," John said trying to calm Randy once again.

Randy nodded and sipped on his coffee some more.

"I know what'll calm you," John said reaching into the bag of food he picked up at the café. He pulled out a candy bar and passed it to Randy. "Always does the trick."

Randy went to take the candy bar from John but the older man pulled it away, pouting slightly.

"What do you say?" John teased.

Randy tipped his head back again and said thank you with a wicked smile on his face and John gave him the candy bar. Randy reached up pulled John in for a quick kiss, forgetting that neither of them could keep it to a simple kiss. John pulled Randy's hat up so it was out of his way, as he slipped his tongue into Randy's mouth, enjoying the control Randy allowed him at that moment in time.

Randy couldn't help but overhear a conversation from the opposite row of seats, as he enjoyed John tasting his mouth.

"Mom is that John Cena there?" a young boy asked quietly.

"Where?

"There, with that man… oh my god, that's Randy Orton," the boy exclaimed, Randy was thankful he was still being quiet.

"So much for being role models," the mother scoffed. Randy heard her words but registered a different thought in her tone of voice. It sounded as though she was more jealous of their relationship. People often told him since his relationship with John started, that they were good role models, not conforming to what was expected and standing up for their rights, and showing how proud they were of their relationship.

When John pulled away for air, Randy registered the lust in John's eyes and wished he could help him out with it. He quickly checked his watch but realised they wouldn't have time to sneak anywhere before Al's flight touched down.

"What you thinking?" John asked.

"Mmm, that I wish we had time to sneak off somewhere but we don't," Randy said, his own desire, calming a little at realising the situation.

"I think I can handle it," John said, smirking.

"Did you get a napkin with this lot?" Randy asked, changing tact.

"Yeah, why?" John asked.

"Give me a pen," Randy said trying to hurry up John's movements as he dug through the bag to locate a napkin .

"How do you know I have one?"

"You always have one," Randy commented with an amused face.

He took the pen from John and separated slightly so he could lean against the plastic seat. He signed the napkin, passing the pen for John to do the same. When he was done, Randy took the napkin back and scribbled a note before folded it in half. John looked up at the screen and noticed Alanna's flight change to landing. He tugged on Randy's arm pointing to the screen and Randy's smile beamed brighter than he'd seen it since it was agreed Alanna was coming to live with them.

They stood from their seats and headed to the doors where Alanna would come through after claiming her luggage. On their way past Randy stopped to hand the napkin to the young boy.

"Here you go kid," he said handing him the napkin without stopping.

He looked back over his shoulder and watched the kid's reaction. When the young boy looked up, he winked and nodded before focusing on his daughter's arrival.

"What did you write?"

"That's for being discreet," Randy said shrugging his shoulders. "He could've caused a scene; I didn't want that, especially since we decided to make out as well."

Randy was hopping from one foot to another as they waited what seemed like an eternity for Alanna to arrive. John looped his arm around Randy's waist and pulled him close, starting to feel excited as well as a little anxious. It was at that moment, that both he and Randy spotted her and Randy finally stopped moving. It was as if he was stuck to the ground. As soon she was through the doors, Randy went over to her and pulled her into a loving hug, kissing the top of her head.

John looked on, smiling happily; as he saw the tears glisten in Randy's eyes. He was finally able to hold his daughter close and for once, he wasn't going to have to say goodbye. They pulled back from each other but Randy kept an arm around her shoulder as he took her suitcase and towed it in line behind him. They walked over to where John stood and they too embraced, although not as tightly as father and daughter had.

"I'm glad you're here, Al," John said smiling, pulling back from her. "You have no idea how hard your ol' man has been to live with this last week."

Alanna chuckled at John's joke and Randy swatted John around the back of the head.

"Just for that, you're carrying the luggage," Randy said leading Alanna toward the exit.

John breathed a sigh of relief as the awkward moment of Alanna's arrival passed without any of his fears coming true. He just hoped it stayed that way. They all jumped into the car and Randy was constantly talking at Alanna about everything he planned on doing with her. He said he'd take her shopping at some point over the next couple of days so she could pick up some more weather appropriate clothing. Missouri was lot cooler than Florida, so she would probably need to stock up.

"Honey," John said interrupting Randy's jabbering. "Al's looking a little tired from the flight; try to contain your giddiness until she's had some sleep."

"Thank you," Alanna said chuckling at the save from John.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Randy said sheepishly. He turned back to watch the road and realised which route John was taking to get home. "Now you're taking the interstate?"

"We were waiting for nearly an hour, Randy, we were there on time," John said rolling his eyes.

Randy looked back once more at Al to say something but saw her eyes shut as her head rested against the seat.

Fifty minutes later and John was pulling into the driveway of their home. He stopped outside the garage so Randy could get out and wake Alanna who was still sleeping the back seat. When she wouldn't rouse, Randy undid her seatbelt and scooped her up into his arms.

"Would you mind bringing her bags in?" he asked John quietly.

"Of course not," John replied as Randy shut the door and he started to pull into the garage. He parked the car and retrieved Alanna's bags from the trunk, carrying them inside and up the stairs. He moved quietly into her room as Randy covered her with the bed sheets.

They left her sleeping and went downstairs, setting about to complete the household chores they usually did when they first got up. They discussed dinner plans as they went about their business. They were originally thinking about taking Alanna out for a meal on her first night there but seeing how tired she was, they thought it was better to stay in and they could go out for a meal later in the week.

Once they finished with the house, Randy led John into the family room and pulled him down onto the sofa so they could watch a movie together while they waited for Alanna to wake. Randy spread his legs out on the sofa as John sat between them, leaning back to rest against Randy his arms automatically encircling John.

As the movie began, Randy's fingers started softly running along the exposed flesh of John's neck, John moaned slightly so Randy continued his gentle exploration, every now and then dipping his fingers below the neck of the shirt John wore. They led together, with Randy touching and kissing John's skin gently as the movie played. Neither man wanting it to become heated, they were simply enjoying being in each other's company, laughing and joking over trivial things.

It was when the movie was ending that Randy took John's lips with between his, slipping his tongue into John's mouth, almost copying the way John kissed him earlier in the day at the airport.

"I guess I should get used to seeing that," Alanna said as she entered the room.

Randy released John's lips at the sound of his daughter's voice and he pulled back.

"Hey, did you sleep okay?" Randy asked as Alanna made her way further into the room.

"Yeah; I like the room," Alanna commented taking a seat on the opposite sofa.

"Good," Randy said. "Oh, hey, I almost forgot."

He jumped up from the sofa and went to the dining table where there was a gift-wrapped box. He picked it up and carried it over to Alanna to present to her.

"This is from John and I, as a house-warming gift," Randy said as she smiled, tearing into the gift.

She tore the wrapping off; turning the box over so she read what was inside. When she saw it was a laptop, she was practically bouncing on the spot in excitement. She'd been begging her mom for one for so long and now she finally had one. Randy beamed with as much excitement as she had for the gift.

"I knew you wanted one, and with you starting high school this year, it seemed the best time to get one," he said as she launched into him hugging him in a death grip. "I guess that means you like it?"

"Definitely, this is so cool, I can still talk with all my friends in Missouri," she exclaimed taking the laptop out the box to set it up.

"Johnny knows more about computers than me, so he promises me this is the best," Randy explained.

"Of the ones you can actually get your hands on this is the best, it has the most up to date processor in there, so much memory it'll take twenty years' worth of photos and music to use it up, and the graphics are top notch, so is the built in web cam," John explained.

Alanna put down the laptop and went to John, hugging him as tight as she did Randy and he smiled, happy she liked the computer.

"I guess I missed dinner," Alanna said as she sat next to John while Randy switched on the laptop to start the installation.

As if on cue, John's stomach growled and Randy looked up from the screen and gave him a disapproving look.

"Then again," Alanna chuckled.

"Sorry, he didn't feed me this morning," John commented, rubbing his stomach to smother the second growl that he felt threatening to release.

"You have two hands, surely you can manage a bowl of your precious fruity pebbles," Randy said shaking his head as he headed to kitchen to start dinner.

"How come you didn't eat already?" Alanna asked. John thought he heard a hint of surprise in her voice, as if she was used to eating alone.

"We always eat together," John said patting her shoulder, indicating for her to follow him. He led her to the kitchen island where they took a seat on the stalls surrounding it. John grabbed the bag of food he'd purchased at the airport café and told Alanna to dig in. "He thinks he's a world renowned chef, he'll take his time with the food."

"Is this get at Randy day?" he asked as John made yet another quip at his expense. "And at least I can cook. What do you fancy Al? It's your choice tonight."

"I don't mind, anything," she said, shrugging her shoulders. John could tell she was going to be as laid back as Randy was. Some of his fears were already seeping away, and he was sure, in time, they would disappear altogether.


	7. Chapter 7

"Morning, honey," John mumbled half asleep as he felt Randy shift in bed next to him.

Randy lazily tossed his arm over John's body, curling in behind John, pressing light kisses across the back of his shoulder.

"What day is it?" Randy asked John, his voice as groggy as John's.

"Saturday," John grunted in reply, using a single eye to peep at the clock on his nightstand.

"I've got school today," Randy moaned, burying his head against John's neck.

John chuckled at Randy's comment and rolled over so he was facing Randy.

"Meet me behind the bleachers?" he asked as he reached between their bodies and cupped Randy's package.

Enjoying the feel of his lover's touch, Randy bit his lip and rolled onto his back, sinking back into his pillow.

"I hate to tell you this Randy, but people don't go to school on Saturday," he quipped as he continued to rub Randy's crotch, trying to elicit even a small moan from him. "They have lazy mornings in bed."

John lay out next to Randy, continuing to rub him through his pyjama bottoms, nuzzling against his neck and shoulders, placing lazy kisses on his lips, chest and abs, taking his time, exploring his body. Randy, enjoying John's play time, didn't appear in any rush and ran a gentle hand over the back of John's head and neck, encouraging his exploration. John briefly looked up at Randy and watched him flex his arm up and then behind his head, relaxing under his lovers touch. John went resumed his touching and kissing, never letting his hand leave Randy's covered shaft.

When John was done with Randy's upper body, he let go of Randy's hard shaft and slowly lowered the waistband of the pyjama bottoms that Randy was wearing, before removing them entirely. John continued his slow examination of Randy's body, running his lips and tongue along the tan, muscular legs, taking extra time when he reached his thighs, knowing Randy would start to want attention higher up.

Sure enough, as he reached the upper thighs, Randy's hand was back to his head, leading the older man to his shaft, precum starting to leak out of the top. John swiped his tongue out and licked the precum away, drawing a stifled groan from his lover. John looked up at Randy to see his face. He loved watching him on his play days. He was about to take Randy into his mouth when there was a sharp knock on the door.

Randy practically wilted right in front of John and pulled him away from his crotch. John could tell Randy was sorry for stopping him, embarrassed that he went down so quickly, and above all else, John could see the guilt in his eyes for forgetting his daughter was in the house. A second knock brought both of them out of their thoughts. John tried to soothe Randy, as he finally spoke in reply to the knock.

"I was just wondering what time we needed to head over to the school," Alanna asked through the door.

"In about three hours," Randy said looking at the clock on his nightstand. "It means we'll be eating tonight because we probably won't be back until early afternoon."

"That's fine; do you mind if I go out for a bit?"

"Where do you want to go, I'll take you after breakfast," Randy said, pulling his pyjama bottoms back on, so he could start getting ready for the day.

"Randy, she's sixteen. She's doesn't want her dad going everywhere with her," John chimed in, as he headed into the bathroom.

Randy glared a little at John's back; he didn't mean anything vicious by it, but he was annoyed that John was stopping him from spending time with Alanna. He wanted to make up for all the lost time they had.

"Dad, John's right," she said as Randy opened the door to the bedroom. "Besides, I just want to take a look around the neighbourhood. See where it is I'm living."

"Okay," Randy sighed in defeat. "But at least have breakfast before you go out."

"Unlike John," Alanna said loud enough for him to hear in the bathroom. "I can feed myself."

Alanna chuckled as she heard a snort come from the bathroom, before John popped his head around the door, smiling his dimpled smile, "I happen to be a good cook."

"John, all the times I've stayed here over the years, the only time I've seen you cook is when we had a barbeque," Alanna joked before turning around and heading for the staircase. "I'll be back in plenty of time for us to go; can you stop him freaking out."

"Please, I've been trying to do that since he found out he was going to be a father; I've yet to find out the right formulae."

John felt Randy's eyes on him once more, glaring at him and he simply walked back into the bathroom. When he didn't hear Randy follow him, he removed his pyjama bottoms and threw them back out to bedroom.

"Either get in here and have some fun with me or go start breakfast," he said loud enough for Randy to hear him.

John hopped in the shower and started to lather up, figuring he could actually wash while enticing his boyfriend as well. He smiled when he heard Randy enter the room but he tried to keep a straight face when he heard the shower door slid open. He felt Randy's hand rest gently on his hip, and he relaxed into the touch, willing Randy's hand to slide round and take hold of his manhood.

"I think I'll make breakfast."

Randy was out of the shower faster than it took his words to register in John's head and react to them. John wanted to run after him and either, lock him in a headlock until he apologised, or drag him back into the shower to have the fun he wanted. He knew by now his playtime was over so if he dragged him back to the shower he would be at Randy's mercy, but he also knew if he tried the headlock route, then Randy would probably just find a way out of it and hit him with an inverted back breaker.

John finished in the shower and dressed for the day as he set into his usual routine, gathering their used clothes before straightening the bed and heading down to the laundry room with the clothes.

"I'm putting darks on, have you got anything in your gym bag?" John asked, pecking Randy on the shoulder as he came up behind him.

"Only what I'm wearing, can you wait until after breakfast?"

"Not really, I've got to head to the gym to collect some paperwork and talk with the manager while you take Al to school to register," John said, kissing Randy's shoulder again. Randy's shoulder slumping as John continued kissing.

"If I leave you with the pancakes, can you promise not to burn the house down," Randy quipped.

"I think I can manage pancakes," John said, turning his nose up at Randy's lack of faith in him.

"I've just turned this one," Randy said as he handed the spatula over to John, giving him a warning, before heading back upstairs to change. When he reached the bedroom, he headed to the bathroom and quickly washed and shaved. He didn't have a shower because he didn't want to leave John alone in the kitchen for too long.

He changed into some fresh clothes, making sure he was presentable and was making the right impression when he met the principal later that day. He was just wondering whether to change into a long sleeved t-shirt, considering some people disapproved of tattoos, when he heard the smoke alarm going off. He growled as he grabbed his pyjama bottoms before rushing out the room and down the stairs.

"Johnny, if you've burnt my kitchen down," he said to himself as he entered the room to see John trying to scrape a pancake from the frying pan.

"I think I burnt one," John said sheepish.

"How long were you cooking it for?" Randy asked trying to sound sympathetic and not laugh at his lover. He took the frying pan from John and managed to get the pancake off the base of the pan. "How much mixture's left?"

When Randy saw how much was left, he checked in the top oven where he was keeping the others warm and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"Seriously, Johnny, you were cooking the same one the whole time I was up there?" Randy asked, still laughing.

"You didn't say how long to cook it for," John snapped, grabbing the clothing Randy brought down and headed to the laundry room. Randy immediately regretted laughing and after setting the frying pan in the sink to soak, went into the laundry room to find John. He knew from the length of time he was in the room that he would be sulking but he was expecting to find John in the state he was in when he entered the room. His heart broke a little when he saw the tears glistening in his eyes. John was a strong man, one of the many reasons why Randy was attracted to him, but every now and then, John would let his emotions come through. Noticing Randy enter the room, John turned his back on Randy and went about straightening things that didn't need straightening, and refolding clothes which were already folded. Randy walked up behind him and wrapped him into a bear hug.

"I didn't mean to make you upset," Randy said, resting his chin on John's shoulder, nudging him with his head. "Like you said, I didn't mention how long they needed cooking for."

Randy felt John relax in his arms a little at the words, but he knew the man was still tense.

"If I ask you something, do you promise not to get more upset," Randy asked, careful to keep his voice soft. He continued when he got a nod from John. "Why did you get upset? We've joked about this before."

"Because whenever I try to help, I always screw up, and then everyone takes the piss," John sighed, relaxing further into Randy's embrace as he let his feelings out.

"How long have you been feeling this way?"

"I don't know, everyone's always taken the piss, but I guess hearing you laugh just made me feel upset," John admitted. "You've joked before, but never laughed at me."

"Johnny, darling, I'm sorry," Randy apologised squeezing John even tighter, knowing he could take it.

John shrugged his shoulders, knocking Randy's jaw in the process. When Randy grumbled a bit when his teeth clashed together, John gave him a look over his shoulder, which said he deserved it, even if it were an accident. Randy let go of his bear hug and turned John around to look at him. He placed a chaste kiss on his lips and cupped his face, looking into his eyes.

"Forgive me, I don't like you upset because of me," Randy said before kissing him again. John nodded but still pulled back from Randy. He couldn't help still feeling hurt by his laughing.

"I've got an idea," Randy said, leading John out to the kitchen. He fetched a new frying pan out of the cupboard and switched the hob back on to warm the pan up. Retrieving the pancakes from the oven he put them on the unit and tore one apart, feeding it to John. "Want me to teach you?"

John took another bite of pancake and thought about the offer. He wasn't sure it was a good idea, he didn't want to ruin anymore of Randy's equipment. He shrugged his shoulders in response, continuing to eat the pancakes; he had to admit Randy could cook well.

"Come here," Randy said, pulling John to where he stood. "You know how sexy it was when you showed me how to play pool a little better? Well teaching you how to cook, can be just as sexy."

John smiled at Randy's goofiness and kissed him, letting him take it deeper. At least until he realised his frying pan was hot enough to finish the pancakes.

"Want me to show you how to do pancakes?" Randy asked.

As Alanna hopped into Randy's Bentley, Randy himself stopped off at John's Mustang. He wanted to check once more that he and John were okay after John was upset this morning. Randy hadn't mentioned it to Alanna as he didn't want her thinking anything was wrong, or that she had upset John, considering they had been joking about it less than an hour before.

"Johnny, are we okay?" Randy asked, stopping John from getting into the car. "I don't know whether we should be apart if you're still upset with me."

"Randy, honey, I'm fine," John said, kissing him quick on the cheek, wary that Alanna was nearby. "We're fine."

"Are you sure?"

"What will it take to convince you?" John asked, smirking at his boyfriend's concern.

"I can think of a few things," Randy whispered. "But I'll settle for a kiss. And it will calm my nerves about this meeting."

John leant in and captured Randy's lips, convincing him he will be okay, and that they were okay. Randy wasn't content with just a quick kiss and pulled John closer, taking control of the kiss, pushing his tongue into John's mouth to taste him deeper.

"I hate to interrupt; but I would like to meet my principal without having to explain that we were late because my father was making out with his partner. We already have to deal with the disapproving look you get whenever someone sees your tattoos for the first time," Alanna said dryly to the two men, though smiling throughout her comments.

"Do you think I should put a jacket on?" Randy asked John, panic evident in his voice.

"Al," John whined when Randy started panicking again. "Randy, you'll be fine. You're registering her at the school, not going to court. As long as Al looks presentable, it doesn't matter about your appearance."

John gave Randy an innocent kiss and slapped him gently on the butt, "Go."

Randy separated from John and headed over to his car as John got in his own. He looked over just as John pulled out, beeping his horn to signal his departure. Randy soon followed suit, pulled his car out of the garage, and headed off in the direction of the school. Everything was so sudden with Alanna moving to Florida that they were lucky to get an appointment to register her.

If Randy had made the phone call a day later then he would have missed the chance and they would have needed to go either private school, something Randy never wanted to do, or a school in Tampa, which meant a long journey to and from school for Alanna each day.

The high school he was registering Alanna into was only ten minutes from their home. He felt slightly awkward walking into the school on a Sunday and what made it worse was he was heading to the principal's office. He was proud of Alanna for never getting in trouble at school and being sent to the office and thankful at the same time. One of his concerns as she got older was that she would develop the same rebellious streak he had when he was younger. The last time he headed in this direction was the week he was graduating from high school, twenty-six years ago.

"Why are you more nervous than me?" Alanna asked as they headed down the hallway.

"What can I say; I don't like schools, whether it's me going, or my daughter. Just ask your mom. I almost freaked out when we took you to kindergarten for the first time," Randy explained.

"Was that before or after you split up?"

"About six months before I think," Randy answered her question, wary about the timing of her questions.

"So were you and John together by that point?"

"No! Listen, Al, sweetheart, how about we talk about this afterward," Randy said as they entered the administration office and found the principal waiting behind the desk.

"Mr Orton. Alanna," she said shaking both hands. "Why don't we go through to my office and we can get started on the paperwork."

Randy made his way through to the office in stunned silence; he was expecting a bloke, not a woman.

"Can we talk now?" Alanna asked as they walked back into the house from the garage.

John was already home, and had his paperwork spread out on the coffee table in the family room. He looked up when he heard Alanna speaking and the door to the garage close moments after.

"How'd it go?" John asked.

"Absolutely fine, I start next month."

"Horrific," Randy said looking traumatised from the experience.

"Okay, which was it?" John asked perplexed by the opposite answers.

"It was fine, I start next month, they're still waiting for my papers to come through from St. Louis, so they can't tell yet whether there will be much to catch up on, however since it's between school years, everything should be okay," Alanna explained to John. He smiled, loving the fact that she was so mature for her girl of her age. She took a seat next to John on the sofa and looked over at all the paperwork. "What are you working on?"

"Monthly finances, Math was never my strong point so it takes me a while," John explained. "Why does he seem to think it was horrific?"

"He hates schools," Alanna said rolling her eyes at the overreaction by her father. Randy slumped down on the other side of John and laid his head down in John's lap, stopping him from working.

John looked at Alanna, asking for a further explanation. The last time Randy went into a school he didn't come out as traumatised as this.

"I swear he is not coming to any events; especially if the principal's going to be there. It was kind of gross," Alanna said, pulling his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm used to the way you two are together; but really she was shamelessly flirting with him; with me right there," Al said, getting worked up.

"Wait, 'she', what happened to the bloke you were speaking to?" John asked as he started laughing at the situation, Randy was already panicking about going to the school, but to find out that the principal was a woman… and had a thing for him. Randy would've hated it; he wished he could have been there to witness it.

"Apparently that was her assistant," Randy mumbled from John's lap.

"No wonder you're traumatised; to think 'The Viper', the once world renowned lady's man, scared by a single woman flirting with him," John said laughing at both Randy and Alanna's faces. He couldn't help but notice the similarities in father and daughter.

"It's not funny," Randy said, sitting up at staring at John. "I never want to see that woman again."

"Fine by me," Alanna piped up as she went to grab a drink from the fridge.

"How about we do something logical, if you're okay with it Al," John said before continuing. "When you do have a school event, both your dad and I go along and when she sees him and inevitably walks over to say hello, you can introduce me as your dad's partner."

John watched as Alanna took a seat on the neighbouring sofa and thought the idea through. John knew Alanna had some reservations about their relationship and he didn't want to push the idea too soon, but this seemed like an appropriate idea, and was subtle as well.

"Can't we just make out when we know she's looking," Randy suggested.

"No."

"I was going for subtlety, honey," John quipped as he went back to looking at his paperwork.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: The Week Day Four will be posted tomorrow. I just started missing this story when I was sorting out my notes. Hope you enjoy.**

**Sorry for those who tried to read earlier, it seems the website didn't want to post it originally... maybe I missed clicked it**

"_Welcome everybody to the 20__th__ Anniversary of Money in the Bank," Michael Cole called over the pyrotechnics as the Pay per View went live._

"Honey, should I be putting butter on this?" John asked from the kitchen where he was pouring the popcorn in a bowl. Randy hopped up from his seat in front of the television and joined John in the kitchen.

"You asked just to get another sexy, romantic, cooking lesson, didn't you?" Randy joked as he snaked his arm around John holding him close. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and fed a couple of pieces to John. "All you need to do is taste it and see; I picked up the butter popcorn at the shop, so it should be okay."

John held Randy's hand as he withdrew and took a couple more pieces, gently sucking the oil from Randy's fingers. Randy smiled at his lover's antics and tried not to imagine him sliding down to his knees, though he wasn't succeeding very well.

"I'm not sure," John said bringing Randy back to the moment. "It doesn't taste like when you make it."

Randy popped a couple of pieces and smoothed the frown off of John's face.

"It taste's amazing, darling," he said, taking the bowl and leading John to the sofa in front of the TV.

"Are you sure?"

"Ooh, popcorn," Alanna said grabbing the bowl from her father as she entered the room and settled on the opposite couch. "Dad, you outdid yourself."

"Johnny made it," Randy said proudly, settling onto the sofa, resting his head on John's lap. "Don't eat it all yourself, Alanna; it's for all three of us, and you still have dinner tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, what you cooking?" Alanna said kicking her shoes off and stretching out and getting comfortable as the first match of the Pay per View started. Tyson Kidd was challenging Harry Smith for the Intercontinental championship.

"A phone call to the Chinese," Randy said.

"Huh?"

"Pay per Views are his nights off," John explained. "Since I can't cook, we default to the takeaway."

The small family sat back and watched as Tyson and Harry went back and forth with Josh Matthews continually comparing the match to SummerSlam 1992, paying respect to Bret Hart vs British Bulldog. Josh was joined in commentary by Michael Cole and William Regal, with Michael Cole being his obnoxious self.

"Seriously, this guy needs to shut up, he was annoying when I was kid, and he still is now," Alanna grumbled.

"I'd say he's doing his job then," Randy said without looking up, focusing on the match itself.

John smirked down at Randy and then across at Alanna in sympathy. He was happy Alanna was now living with them as Randy always focused so hard on the matches he forgot it was supposed to be fun as well. John could always guarantee they would end up bickering over it by the end of the night, which always led to reminiscing over their own matches. With Alanna here, Randy may loosen up a little and remember to enjoy the event as well, since Alanna was more of a fan of the whole show, like John.

_Tyson won the match, and Natalya, Tyson's wife and current Diva's champion, came down to the ring and raised both competitors' hands, much like Diana did in 1992. Unlike the famous intercontinental match, Harry went to present the title belt to Tyson in good sportsmanship, but instead smashed him over the head with the title._

"Hey," all three spectators called, and Randy's head even shot up from its resting place on John's legs.

John smiled a little as Randy seemed to be enjoying the event already and they were only one match into it. By the time, Cody went up against Evan Bourne for the WWE Championship then he may be on the edge of his seat, like the fan John knew he was.

"One match down," John whispered to Randy, smiling. Randy looked up at John and chuckled at his countdown.

"What you talking about? I figured you'd be all for watching it tonight," Alanna commented, confused at John's statement.

"Every pay per view lately, they've been dropping our names," John explained. "We're waiting for a phone call from Paul or Stephanie to drag us back into the game."

"Are you going to?" she asked as the first of the ladder matches started.

"We haven't discussed it yet," John answered honestly. "I do miss the tour from time to time though."

"Darling, we both stopped for a reason," Randy reminded him. "Besides, now Al's here, we can't just up and leave."

"Honey, I'm not suggesting we do," John reassured. "I just said I miss it, and I know you do to. Besides, I've got too much going on with the gym to worry about going on the road.

_The ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship title contract was a fierce battle between The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Santino Marella, Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Bryan and The Big Show. There was a lot of controversy in the media leading up to the fight since there wasn't any up and comers in the match, and it was relying on superstars who were nearing the end of their careers to pull in a decent bout._

_Throughout the match, the older superstars, particularly The Big Show, were showing they were still capable of pulling off good matches which had entertainment value. The favourites to win the match was Dolph Ziggler or Daniel Bryan considering they had age on their side, however with an exciting twist at the end, Santino Marella fought his way to the top of the ladder and after struggling with Bryan was able to secure his win when his old friend, The Cobra, made a return visit, knocking Daniel off the top of the ladder._

"I used to love that when I was younger," Alanna cried as she grabbed another handful of popcorn.

John reached over for the bowl to take some for him and Randy; however Alanna had managed to eat the entire bowl by herself.

"At least I know I can make popcorn well," John chuckled showing Randy the empty bowl.

"Al, I said not to eat it all yourself," Randy snapped at his daughter, before turning back to John. "Sorry, darling."

Alanna looked a little upset that she was told off for eating the popcorn; after all it was only popcorn. It seemed Randy was more preoccupied about looking after John than her. She'd left St Louis, to get away from her mom who was more concerned with her new husband, but it seemed it was no different here in Florida.

"Ran, don't be silly, it's popcorn. Besides, it's about time you cooked us up a phone call," John said.

Randy moved off the sofa, grabbing the phone as he went over to the menus on the refrigerator. John turned to Alanna and saw she was still upset from Randy's overreaction.

"Are you okay?" John asked; scooting closer to tap her hand with his foot as it hung down from the edge of the sofa.

"Fine," she answered shortly. "I didn't mean to eat all of your popcorn."

"It doesn't bother me," John said quietly. "Like I said, I'm just glad I know I can make popcorn; especially after the fiasco with the pancakes yesterday."

"What pancakes?" Alanna asked turning to John in confusion.

"When you were out, your dad was making breakfast but left me in charge as he went to get changed," John said, blushing at the memory. "I burnt it so bad I set the smoke alarm off."

"Seriously?" Alanna asked chuckling at John's misfortune. "You burnt a pancake."

"Don't laugh at John, please" Randy said, causing Alanna to get upset again. He'd come back over and heard the end of John's sentence and Alanna's subsequent laughing and he didn't want John to get upset again.

"Honey, it's-"

"It's not okay to laugh at someone else," Randy said as he sat back own on the sofa without cuddling into John. "The food will be here in twenty minutes."

John was shocked at Randy's behaviour. Although he was sure it was to do with his reaction to Randy's teasing yesterday; this time John was laughing at the memory as well. He picked the remote off the coffee table and went to rewind since they'd missed the championship match between Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks.

"What are you doing?" Randy asked, looking over at John from his side of the sofa.

"Rewinding, we missed the match," John said quietly without looking at his partner.

They settled into the match, none of them reacting at some of the moves Curt and Tyler were coming up with which had the crowd going wild.

"_Regal, of course, you worked with these two many years ago when they were first starting in the business," Michael Cole said as Tyler locked Curt into an arm bar._

"_I did, yes, Michael. Both Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks were a part of the NXT program in its first few years," Regal replied. "They got on a lot better back then."_

"_Many superstars in the history of the company came up through the ranks together. CM Punk and Daniel Bryan, much like these two competitors, once friends had a storied rivalry when Daniel Bryan was trying to regain a championship title," Cole explained, letting his journalistic tendencies to come into play._

"_That's true, but you see it happen the other way as well," Matthews countered. "If you look at John Cena and Randy Orton, the two franchise players of WWE before they stepped back to let the up and coming superstars take the spotlight. They started as enemies, but put their differences behind them, and the pair have become best friends."_

"_They're a little more than best friends," Cole remarked sarcastically to Josh._

"Third match," John said, again without looking at Randy.

"I'll pay you later," Randy said nudging John with his foot.

"No need," John said as the doorbell rang. He got up and went to the door to get the food, feeling Randy following him.

"I've got this," Randy said as John reached for his wallet which sat on the side table.

John took the food from the delivery boy and headed back to the kitchen, not responding to Randy.

"Dinner's here, Al," John said pulling the cartons out from the paper bag.

"What did he order?" she asked as she came over.

"A set dinner, cutie," John said handing her a plate. "There's a bit of everything. Help yourself."

John and Alanna went through and plated up what they wanted. John noticed Randy still hadn't returned from paying for the food. He quickly put Randy's food on a plate and offered Alanna the remaining sweet and sour chicken balls since Randy wasn't overly fond of them, topping Randy's plate up when the rice.

"I'm going to find your dad," John said putting their plates on the coffee table.

"Do you want me to keep it paused?" Alanna asked.

"No, go ahead Cutie; just pause if Ted or Cody's matches come on," John called back as he went on the hunt.

When he couldn't find Randy in the hallway, he went upstairs to their room and noticed the door to their balcony open. He went over to the doors and poked his head out seeing Randy sat on one of the chairs. John was shocked when he saw Randy sat with a cigarette. It had been nearly five years since Randy had decided to quit smoking.

John remembered the time fondly, since Randy found something to do whenever he had a craving for a smoke. He moved over to the chair, standing behind his lover. He ran his hands over his chest, leaving them their so he could feel the skin beneath the shirt. John was always grateful Randy wore tight shirts as it showed off the muscles he still possessed.

"When did you get those?"

"Never got rid of them," Randy said without emotion.

"You've been hiding them from me?" John asked shocked at Randy's words.

"No; just never wanted them."

"Why are you hiding, honey?" John asked, trying to get Randy to open up. "Your dinner's getting cold."

"I doubt either of you care; you aren't talking to me," Randy illuminated.

John moved round to the side of the chair and then sank onto Randy's lap, looping his arm around Randy's neck.

"Ran, you upset Alanna. I wasn't upset about the popcorn, and I was laughing with her about the pancakes," John said gently.

"She shouldn't have eaten it all herself, that popcorn was for everyone," Randy said.

"Then tell her that," John said, leaning back against Randy. "And apologise to her for laughing because we were both laughing about it. I'm over it. I'm hoping you'll forgive me for getting upset yesterday. I know you were worried."

"You don't need to apologise. I shouldn't have laughed at you," Randy said, stubbing out his cigarette. "I should make it up to you."

John smiled at Randy's hint.

"You really should. I was sooo upset yesterday. I don't know how I'm coping," John joked. "But you'll want to build your strength first… by eating your dinner."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Randy said squeezing John in his arms. "I've got to eat something."

"I love you," John said.

"Yeah, I know, I'm fabulous," Randy said, sounding as though he'd heard it too many times.

"Yeah, because that doesn't make you sound gay."

John and Randy turned their heads to see Alanna stood in the doorway, looking awkward at seeing them sat as they were.

"You remember the conversation we had with you when you were six?" Randy chuckled. "Might need to have that talk with you again."

"Ted's match is coming on," she said before starting to walk away, not responding to her dad's light hearted joke.

"Al, wait," Randy called her making her stop.

He tapped John's thighs to get him to move and stood up so he could go and talk with Alanna. He took her in his arms and apologised for snapping at her. He explained that he overreacted but he was still disappointed that she ate all of the popcorn considering he'd specifically asked her not to.

When they were talking John went back downstairs and checked their food was still warm enough to eat. When he found it cooling down, he thought it was best for Randy to come down and warm it up so he didn't ruin the food.

Randy came in and automatically took over, kissing John in appreciation. John went and sat with Alanna and they started the pay per view again as Randy watched from behind the sofa as the food warmed through.

As stood there, he ran his hands across John's shoulders and gently massaged them. The ladder match was going really well for Ted and from what he'd told them, he was set to win. John stiffened a little, just as Randy came back with the food, as Ted took a bad fall from the ladder and they were worried for their friend. The two of them sat on the edge of their seats as they ate, getting into the match as, even though they knew he was set to win, it didn't look as though he was going to.

"_Ted DiBiase, the son of WWE legend, The Million Dollar Man, struggling to get back in this match," Michael Cole said as Ted climbed back in the ring._

"_Ted has been berated recently by Cody Rhodes, the two former stable mates. The two have teamed together and numerous occasions over the years," Matthews informed the viewers. "Cody has recently been taunting Ted, saying 'he hasn't got what it takes to make the big time'."_

"_Josh, I'm telling you, this man has what it takes. He's proving at this moment as he's trying his hardest to get back in the ring and up the ladder," Regal said interrupting Josh. "If I were asked to put my money on any of the competitors in this ring, I would say Ted is going to win, because he has the experience and Rhodes has done him a favour. He's lit the fire within Ted to prove him wrong; and if both of these men win tonight, Cody needs to watch out."_

_Ted dragged himself to the top of the ladder and traded punches with Alex Riley as both men grabbed for the briefcase which held the contract. They went back and forth until Brodus rolled back in the ring. He started pushing on the ladder causing Alanna to jump to the edge of her seat as she worried Ted was going to miss out on his chance at a title shot._

_As the ladder tipped, Ted managed to grab hold of the briefcase and he hung on losing the support of the ladder, he held on causing everyone to think he was going to fall. As Brodus was moving the ladder back into place, the handle on the briefcase snapped and Ted fell to ring mat with the case in his grasp, winning the match._

"That was fantastic," Alanna said with a massive grin. "Did you see the way the briefcase came away from the hook? I swear it was slow motion."

Alanna became animated after the match waiting to see who won in Cody's match. He was up against Evan Bourne with Kofi Kingston as the special guest referee.

"Why's Kofi the ref again?" John asked, looking over at Randy, feeling like he'd missed part of the storyline.

"I don't know," Randy said moving back so he was resting his head on John's thigh. "We were decorating last week, we missed Raw."

"Website poll about what should be added to the match," Alanna said without looking over. "Nearly everyone voted for Kofi to be the referee because of the rivalry he had with Cody last year, still keeps cropping up every now and then."

"You are watching too much wrestling, young lady," Randy said chuckling. "You remind me of The Fink."

"Hey! What else is there to do in St Louis when I get anywhere without Mom or Neil dropping me off," Alanna said. "All I did was hang with my friends or watch wrestling. I was lucky if I could get to the mall more than once a month."

"See, personally, Cutie over there reminds me of you," John laughed as he poked Randy in the stomach. "She likes to go shopping."

"There is nothing wrong with being fashion conscientious, John Felix Anthony Cena," Randy said, swatting John's hand away. "I would've hoped thirteen years of being with me, would rubbed off on you, but alas, it hasn't."

"Um, I think we missed the divas match," Alanna said, interrupting. "Do you want me to rewind?"

"No, Natalya's the only thing holding it up at the moment," John commented. "It seems they've forgotten the ladies division again."

The last match of the night was Cody vs. Evan Bourne and the three watched intently as Cody and Evan went back and forth all night. Although they pulled off a good match, with Cody winning with a Disaster Kick followed by the Cross Rhodes, Randy spotted a few things he could point out to Cody to look out for if he went up against Evan again.

"_Cody Rhodes has done it," Michael Cole shouted from his seat at the announcer's table. "He told you all he would do it, and he has. Cody Rhodes is the new WWE Champion."_

_As Cody was celebrating, bragging in front of the fans about his victory over Evan. Ted's music hit and he sauntered down to the ring with his briefcase and a microphone in hand._

"_Well, well, well," Ted said as he stepped in the ring. "Congratulations Cody. I guess your victory and my victory can mean only one thing. You need to start watching your back."_

_Ted laughed as he left Cody in the ring and went to celebrate with the fans at ringside as the pay per view went off the air._

After the event finished, John picked up all the dishes and loaded the dishwasher, while Randy relaxed on the sofa, talking and messing around with Alanna. He loved watching the two together and thought it was fantastic Alanna had decided to move in with them. He knew Randy missed his daughter and his family and felt like Randy was the one to sacrifice the most in their relationship.

"Randy, honey, I'm going up for a bath, my legs are still aching after the gym earlier, I might have an early night as well," John said, leaning over and kissing him. "Night, Cutie."

"Night, John," Alanna said. "Actually I might head to bed as well. I'm tired."

"Gee, you're both leaving me. Did I say something?" Randy chuckled. "I'm not staying down here like a loner. I'll switch everything off and head up as well."

"It's all done," John shouted back from the hallway.

Randy followed John and Alanna upstairs and said good night to his daughter when they went in opposite directions to their bedrooms. Randy closed the bedroom door as he entered and stripped down to his boxers as he retrieved his pyjama bottoms from the chest of drawers.

John was already running the bath when he was changed and he went in to check his lover was okay.

"Need a massage?" Randy asked, grabbing hold of John's hips as he bent over to switch the taps off, rubbing himself against John.

"Mmm, honey, stop doing that unless you plan on doing something about it."

"Well, I was thinking. I need to make it up to you for yesterday. Not to mention I need to pay up for the bet," Randy said hinting.

"How about we do this, I have a bath, and you go read your book. Then if I'm relaxed enough we go to bed and get some sleep," John said.

"What happens if you're not relaxed enough?" Randy asked wiggling his eyebrows at John.

"Then you give me a massage," John said relenting.

"Twice?" Randy asked sounding hopeful.

"I'm feeling old tonight, Honey. It'll only be once," John said; rubbing his hands down Randy's back. "But tomorrow, we have a lazy morning."

"Someone wants to play," Randy commented as he helped John into the bath. "Sure I can't keep you company?"

"Very sure, now go," John said as he relaxed in the water.

"Okay, okay, I'm going, but here," Randy said, switching on the jets of water. "At least try to relax."

Randy went back out to the bedroom and tried to let himself relax, which was hard considering he knew his lover was in the next room naked. He picked his book up and put it back down numerous times, unable to focus on the text. In the end he gave up when he realised his body was doing the opposite of what he needed it to do.

He couldn't hear John getting out of the tub and knew he couldn't wait to find out if John was going to be relaxed or not. Instead he slipped his hand under the waistband of his boxers and started stroking himself. He wanted to make it last since it had been half a week since he and join actually had sex. He missed having their time together and having John do anything he wanted. He moaned lightly and his head fell back against the pillow he'd propped up behind him when he was trying to read the book.

"Couldn't wait, huh?" John said standing next to the bed with his arms folded.

Randy jumped out of his skin at being caught, even by his lover, but he soon relaxed when he saw John only had a towel around his waist. He ripped the towel away from John and threw it toward the hamper basket in the corner.

"On the bed," he ordered and John smiled, eagerly climbing on the bed straddling Randy.

"Are you going to let me play?" John asked.

"I didn't tell you to talk, now get down there and finish what I started," Randy instructed.

John removed Randy's pyjama bottoms and started stroking him, using the same pace as what Randy was.

"What happened to me having a massage?" John asked coyly.

"I'm massaging your hand at the moment," Randy said. "But I think your mouth needs to be massaged, just to shut you up. So get to work."

John rolled his eyes at Randy, though the younger man saw the lust clearly evident, knowing John loved to take him into his mouth. The older man worked Randy's cock expertly, knowing the right amount of pressure to use to get him to the edge quickly.

He knew Randy was getting close, when he was holding him down on his cock and thrusting his hips up to get John to take more of him in. He looked up at him, to watch his reactions, and he pulled off Randy's cock so he could take a breath.

"Are you enjoying me darling?" Randy asked and John nodded in reply. "Come here and tell me how much."

John crawled up Randy's body and kissed him, shoving his tongue into Randy's mouth, letting him taste himself.

"That much; but I still want more," he said sliding back down to Randy's cock and enveloping him once more.

"Shit, I'm not going to last now, darling," Randy warned as John worked his cock as well as before, pushing him straight back to where he was before. "Johnny!"

John caught every shot Randy gave him, keeping it in his mouth, rather than swallowing. He slinked back up Randy's body and his lover already knew what he planned, drawing him in and opening his mouth for him. They kissed as John let Randy's cum spill from his mouth in Randy's and they both enjoyed the sticky kiss.

Sharing a final moment with Randy, John removed his weight from his lover and helped Randy out by pulling up his pyjama bottoms and tucking him back in.

"Good night honey," John said curling up in Randy's arms as they settled in for the night.

"I love you."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting. I'm going to be focusing on this story from now on. I haven't forgotten the other one-shots I've got to write and I'll fit those in, but being back at work isn't agreeing me at the moment so I have less time to write. **

**Keep the reviews rocking and it will spur me on a bit more.**

**CENTON JADE - I'm still working out the details of the story we spoke about. Again, I just haven't had a lot of time.**

"We should be getting up," John said, looking over his shoulder at Randy as he laid in his boyfriends muscular arms.

"Mmm, I can't be bothered; how about we have a lazy morning," he said suggestively in John's ear, running his tongue along the shell.

John rolled over in Randy's arms, giving him a questioning look. Before Randy even had the chance to answer, John leant in and captured his lips briefly and they swapped kisses for a while as John let his hands travel over Randy's body. He loved it when they had lazy starts in the morning, it was his playtime.

Randy was in control any other time, but this was the moment he took over and Randy was always more than willing. Randy always laid back and watched as John worked him over. John moved his lips to Randy's neck and slowly made his way down the skin until he reached Randy's collarbone.

Running along the bone, John smiled as he heard a faint moan from Randy; his acknowledgement to John he was enjoying what John was doing. John returned along the same route he took and then followed the same path out on the opposite side. As John moved further down, Randy's hand went to the back of his head, encouraging his exploration of his body. His faint moans becoming more frequent.

"How can you stay so quiet?" John asked, lifting his lips from Randy's body. "Aren't you enjoying?"

"Give me your hand," Randy said with concern in his eyes.

John held his hand out and Randy put it on his stomach, covering it with his own before trailing both of their hands further down until John could feel his growing erection.

"Does that answer your question?" he asked. "I don't like to rush you; you know that. I enjoy our lazy mornings as much as you."

John smiled one of his dimpled smiles and then lowered his lips back to Randy's skin; starting on the inside of his wrist and working his way up. He spent time tracing some of the tribal tattoos on Randy's arm with his tongue before he moved back to Randy's chest, biting gently on his nipple.

John found himself smiling again as he felt Randy's cock twitch at the sensation. He continued to bathe the nipples with his tongue, spending equal time on each. Moving over from Randy's chest, John repeated his actions from the other arm and traced the tribal tattoos with his tongue.

"I wondered when you'd remember I had tats on that arm as well," Randy commented as he watched John intently.

"Don't rush me," John said without looking up.

"Trust me, I'm not, I'm enjoying the pace you're setting," Randy confirmed with a smirk.

Randy adjusted his pillow behind his back, savouring the view of his lover as he explored his body as though it were the first time he'd tasted it.

It was only when John moved passed his hips, skating his lips along Randy's thighs that Randy started to get antsy. John was getting closer to Randy's member and the anticipation of John's lips on his cock was enough to make Randy arch his back off the bed, trying to persuade John to take him in.

John purposely ignored the area, running his tongue along Randy's hip line, teasing his lover. He knew by focusing on the area, Randy would be pushed closer to the edge, and John couldn't wait, because on a lazy morning, that meant Randy would do anything John wanted.

"Mmm, darling, please," Randy moaned, letting John know to take him in.

"Honey," John said, trying his hardest to use his puppy dog eyes. "Can I have a bit more time to play?"

"Darling, not with the eyes," Randy groaned, running his hand over John's head.

"Honey, I was enjoying you," John said trying again this time adding a pout.

"I hate you sometimes, Cena," Randy relented.

"You love me and don't deny it," John said, pulling himself up so he was straddling Randy. "Now, where haven't I spent time on you?"

John sat atop Randy, running his hands over his chest and arms, all the while rotating his hips against Randy's. When he was done with Randy's upper body, John turned around and repeated his actions on Randy's legs, stretching out so his ass was on show for Randy.

"Jesus, you're a tease," Randy groaned as John straightened up again, turning back around to face Randy.

"What was that, honey?"

"You heard me," Randy said with a stern look.

"Want me to make it up to you?" John asked, running his hand down Randy's body and gripping his hard cock.

"Yes, please," Randy moaned, enjoying the feel of John's hand slowly moving up and down his shaft. He preferred it went John went faster but he wouldn't take much longer this time anyway.

"I'll go faster," John said, reading Randy's mind. "But I want something in return."

"This is your playtime, darling," Randy said sternly. "You're not getting any more time."

"Actually, I was thinking along the lines of a massage," John said smirking. He knew how their massages always ended. "And I get to choose when to have it."

John's incessantly slow hand was starting to drive Randy crazy and he was nearing the point of taking back his control but he didn't want to ruin the end of John's fun.

"Fine; one massage if you pick up the pace and get me off," Randy groaned quietly.

John's eyes lit up and he let go of Randy's cock. He scooted off of Randy and lay down on the bed, pulling Randy over him before taking hold of his member again. He picked up the pace, keeping his eyes locked with his lover. He loved to see Randy in the throes of passion, even better was when Randy shot all over him.

From the look in his eyes and the way he was biting his lip, trying not to call out, John knew Randy was getting close and it was pushing him to the edge and he wasn't even touching himself. He reached his spare hand down to take hold but Randy stopped him.

"You've been good," Randy said his breathing shallow as he spoke. "I'll help you out afterward."

John sped up his movements and the change in speed was enough to throw Randy over the edge. He pulled Randy's lips to his and swallowed the loud moans which flowed from him as he erupted over John's chest.

"You're a cum slut aren't you?" Randy said breaking the kiss, resting his forehead against John's as he looked down at his lover's chest.

"Ran, honey, please," John begged as his cock throbbed between their bodies.

Randy slid down John's body and took John into his mouth until he was hitting the back of his throat. Without stopping, Randy swallowed and within seconds it was enough to make John shoot his load. Randy kept some of John's cum in his mouth and moved back up John's body.

He pulled the pillow John had used to stifle his moans away from his face and then kissed John, letting the cum run his mouth into his lovers.

"Don't swallow it yet," Randy ordered. He ducked his head down to John's chest and licked up some of his own cum. He was straight back to John's mouth and kissed his hard, pushing his tongue into John's mouth and mixing their cum together. "Now you can swallow it."

John followed Randy's orders and then pulled him into another kiss, this time soft. He looked over to the clock once they broke away from one another and groaned.

"I know it's nearly ten but do we have to get up?" John asked.

"Yes, we do," Randy said not even letting John consider staying in bed. "I have three people to feed."

"Then I'll stay here until breakfast is ready," John said. "I've decided to leave the cooking to you. I'll stick with the barbeque."

"You are not staying in bed; do you want a repeat of last time… without the fun ending?"

John reluctantly made it out of bed and the pair took a quick shower together before Randy went downstairs to start on breakfast. Five minutes later, John joined him in the kitchen, perching on the counter top Randy wasn't using.

"Are we heading to the gym today?" Randy asked, as John sipped on a bottle of water from the fridge.

"No," John answered. "I have to drop by JC's quickly but that's it. Rob said no works out for a few days since I pushed myself too far last week."

Randy moved so he was stood between John's legs and ran his hands up under the material, "If you need a massage; I believe I now owe you one."

"You do; but I think I'm going to call that in when I really need it," John said, wrapping his arms around Randy's neck.

"Every time I walk in a room, you two are going at it," Alanna said jokingly. "You remember I'm supposed to be the hormonal teenager, right?"

Randy pulled away from John and finished preparing breakfast and then the three of them sat out on the veranda to eat. As they ate, Alanna mentioned she needed to go to the mall as she needed some new clothes as well as some supplies she needed for when school started.

Since John was going out anyway he offered to take Alanna, letting her know he'd needed to make a stop at the gym beforehand. She finished her food and went to get ready as Randy and John cleared away the breakfast dishes. Randy was acting quiet and John cornered him to find out what the matter was. Randy said he was just nervous about letting Alanna loose at the mall but John knew there was something else bothering him. Since he wasn't about to get a proper answer, he decided to leave it until later in the day when they were relaxing after dinner.

"Do you need anything, honey?" John asked as he headed to the garage behind Alanna.

"A new dishwasher, this one's crap," Randy shouted, as he slammed the door shut in frustration.

"Okay, one dishwasher," John said, rolling his eyes.

John and Alanna made their way into Tampa, making small talk along the way. John wanted to spend this time with Alanna so they could get to know one another again. Over the years, a distance crept in with their relationship, and John wanted to get it back to the way it was when she was younger.

They made it to JC's and John took Alanna in and showed her around, letting her know she could use the gym whenever she liked as long as she listened to the instructor's advice. Being sixteen he didn't want Alanna to hurt herself by pushing her body too far. After speaking with the manager and collecting any paperwork he needed to go through, John took Alanna over to the mall.

They made a couple of quick initial stops to pick up the items Alanna needed for school as well as a stop to buy a new dishwasher. John knew they needed the machine, so he was going to surprise Randy. He arranged for it to be delivered a few days later. Afterward they started the clothes run for Alanna, John staying back, leaving Alanna to pick out her clothes and try them on. She joked as they went round that he wasn't the typical gay man, since he had no fashion sense. When his stomach started growling loudly, John suggested they get something to eat and they made their way to the food court.

"Can I ask you something?" Alanna said as they waited for their food.

"Of course you can, you don't need to check first," John said looping his arm around her shoulders. The server brought over their food and they moved along the queue toward the till.

"How did you and dad get together?"

John was stunned as he handed over the money to pay for the food. He looked over at Alanna, shocked that Sam or Randy had never spoken to her about it.

"Surely your mom or dad has told you," John said skirting the question.

"If you don't want to, just say," Alanna said shrugging her shoulders and making her way over to a table.

John followed her over to the chosen table, taking a deep breath. He wasn't sure he should be the one to tell her.

"Have you spoken to your parents?" he asked as he sat down at the table with her.

"Yes," she said picking at her fries.

"What did they say?"

"Dad avoids answering," Alanna said focusing on her food. "Mom said you were together since before I was born and you were having an affair for nearly four years."

John took a calming breath before he responded. He pushed his food around his plate, not sure he could eat it anymore.

"I can understand why your mom feels like that was what happened, but I promise you it isn't," John said calmly.

They sat in silence for a little while as they ate their food. John wasn't sure how to handle the situation. He wished Randy were with them so he could straighten out the lie Sam had told him.

"So are you going to tell me?" Alanna asked breaking the silence.

"We weren't together; we kissed; once, when your dad found out he was going to be a dad," John said, keeping it simple. "I can understand why your mom might have thought we were together for longer. The kiss confused both of us for a while, but I don't regret it."

"So when did the affair start?" Alanna asked, continuing to eat. John wasn't sure what she was thinking, she was acting nonchalant but he didn't think she was as calm as it appeared.

"Al, we never had an affair," John said, repeating his earlier statement.

"Mom says you did," Alanna said shaking her head.

"Again; I can understand why your mom thinks that, but it didn't happen" John promised. "We kissed again, when you were a couple of months from turning four. But it was only one kiss."

"They were still together at the time?" Alanna asked more than stated.

"They were," John said not able to look at Alanna. He pushed the remaining food away. "They separated not long after WrestleMania that year."

"I'm done," Alanna said getting up from the table and quickly walking away. John let his head hang for a second before jumping up and going after Alanna. He wanted today to be his chance to get closer to Alanna, instead he felt like he caused the gap to grow.

They got in the car and John started the half hour drive home. They sat in silence for a while before Alanna put on the radio to break the quiet. It was only as they exited the interstate, Alanna finally spoke.

"Doesn't it bother you that you broke up a family?"

"Cutie, I never pursued your dad," John said. "And we didn't become a couple until after they split up."

"When was that second kiss?" Alanna asked.

"What?" John asked confused.

"When was the second kiss?"

"WrestleMania," John said, contemplating whether he should answer for a second.

"So, you kiss him, they split up like a month later," Alanna clarified. "You don't see that as breaking a family up. If you didn't kiss him-"

"I didn't kiss him," John said cutting her off. They drove for another five minutes before either of them spoke again.

"What do you mean, you didn't kiss him. You said it was at Wre-"

"He kissed me," John said quietly.

"Don't lie. Mom told me you came after him. She told me; you wanted to be with my dad, so you went after him. He was happy and then-"

"Al, cutie," he said trying to stop her rant as he pulled into the driveway.

"Don't call me that. I'm not a kid anymore, and stop lying to me," Al shouted. "If you didn't kiss him, then they'd still be together and we'd all be in St. Louis, happy."

Alanna stormed out of the car and into the house, slamming the door. John ran his hands over his head before moving the car into the garage. Unable to go into the house and face Randy, he sat in the car letting his emotions get the best of him. How was he going to tell Randy that he screwed up?

Alanna obviously had issues when it came to his relationship with Randy and John made it worse. So much for closing the small gap between them, instead it felt more like the Grand Canyon. He was just worried Randy would be unhappy with him and it would come between the two of them.

He was lost in his own thoughts when there was a knock on the window.

"Is everything okay?" Randy asked. "You've been out here for nearly ten minutes."

John looked at Randy through the window and Randy's face fell. Randy opened the door and pulled John out of the car and into his arms.

"Darling, what's the matter?"

"I think I screwed up," John said into the crook of Randy's neck.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed. Please review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Guess I found the writing bug this weekend. Hope you enjoy.**

The last few days had been rough for the small family and Randy was starting to feel it today. Ever since their trip to the mall, John and Alanna were avoiding each other. Alanna wouldn't accept what John told her about the start of their relationship and Randy was upset she would go behind his back and ask John those questions.

He knew it should have been a conversation between father and daughter. Randy wasn't upset with John; there was no way he could get out of answering the questions. Randy knew what Alanna was like. He was, however, upset with Alanna. She'd already tried to ask Randy and he promised to sit down with her and talk things through. Maybe he shouldn't have waited so long but it didn't mean she could put John in an awkward position.

He was also upset with Sam for blatantly lying to Alanna all these years. It was no wonder the teenager resented his relationship with John. She'd grown up thinking he'd had an affair, and worse than that, Sam had told her John was the one to instigate it.

He looked over in bed to see John was still sleeping, he moved in close behind John and held on to him, wanting nothing more than to spend the morning in bed together, making love as much as they needed to. He felt John relax in his arms and Randy smiled. However much they go through together, Randy knew he would always have John with him.

The last few days though, had felt like an eternity. John was always trying to avoid any more confrontations with Alanna and he was either at Hard Nock's working out, spending time at JC's, or hiding in his office working on paperwork. Randy even challenged him on how much more paperwork there could be but John simply shrugged his shoulders and went back to what was sat in front of him. Randy kept him supplied with food and drink when he was in there. It felt at times like it was the only time he was able to see him.

"Are you awake?" Randy asked, sighing when there was no reply. He kissed John's shoulder, hoping he could wake him but there was no response. Kissing his shoulder once more, Randy pulled away and headed into the shower. He was only in there briefly before changing on heading down to the kitchen when he saw John still asleep, though he had spread out onto Randy's side of the bed.

Randy looked in the cupboards to plan out the food for the day. He was determined to sort the problem out over a family meal. He looked in the freezer and saw some salmon fillets so pulled them out to defrost during the day. Setting up the waffle iron, Randy mixed up some batter ready to pour in when John and Alanna woke up. Deciding to treat them, he grabbed the ingredients needed to make a raspberry sauce.

He was just finishing when the doorbell sounded and he quickly went to answer the door. Outside was a deliveryman with a large box loaded on a trolley.

"I've got a dishwasher for Cena," the deliveryman said as he looked at the clipboard he held. "Sign here."

Randy took the clipboard being shoved at him and signed letting the deliveryman into the home. He had no idea when John had ordered the new machine but he would have been grateful to be told.

"Where's it going?" the guy looking hacked off already.

"The kitchen's right through here. Sorry I wasn't expecting this, my partner didn't tell me," Randy explained with a grunt as a response from the guy hauling the box through the house. "Are you installing it as well?"

"Of course, sir," he said giving Randy a face which made Randy feel stupid for asking.

"Let me just move the breakfast stuff out the way," he said grabbing the waffle iron and food and moving it to the outdoor kitchen they had on the veranda. He came back in and saw the dishwasher already half out of the box and he had to give it to John for picking something which would go well with the kitchen. "I just need to head upstairs a moment. Just yell if you need anything."

Randy jogged upstairs, taking them to at a time and headed for the bedroom. When he saw the bed empty, he went into the bathroom and pulled the shower door open.

"Randy," John called, turning around in shock at the sudden entrance. Randy ignored his protest and pulled him into his body, plastering his face with kisses.

"It's about time; I've wanted a new one for nearly six months," Randy said between kisses, not caring his clothes were getting wet.

"What are talking about?"

"The dishwasher," Randy said reminding John.

"Oh right, yeah; with everything going on I forgot to tell you," John said shrugging his shoulders and returning to his shower.

"Want me to show you my appreciation?" Randy said, pulling John back against him.

"I'm guessing there's someone downstairs installing it. So, no," John said pulling out of Randy's arms. "Besides, I've got to get to Hard Nock's. Rob agreed to meet me early because I need to head to the other place. I'm meeting with the contractors about the pool."

"Okay, I've got waffles ready to go when you're done in here," Randy said leaving him to his shower.

Randy was really starting to worry about the way John was cutting him out at the moment. The last time anything like that had happened was when John and he took a break because of the trouble Alanna was having at school. He hoped this wasn't a repeat of that time. He couldn't handle the thought of not having John in his life on a daily basis.

He returned downstairs and started the waffle iron to heat it up as the deliveryman finished installing the machine. A couple of minutes later, John came downstairs and called out to say he was heading to the gym.

"Hey, whoa, wait, what about breakfast?" Randy asked, stopping John from leaving.

"Randy, I said I was meeting Rob early," John said turning to head out again.

"John," Randy called trying to stop him.

"What?" John said sounding exasperated.

"When are you going to be home?"

"I don't know, late probably," he called as he threw his gear over to the passenger seat and then hopped in the car.

"Will you be back for dinner tonight?"

"I'll warm it up when I get back," John called out the window.

"It's fish, you can't, and it's not the point," Randy called back from the door. "We always eat together."

"Don't do me any favours, Randy," John yelled over the engine as he roared out of the drive.

Randy went back in the house and went into the family room, throwing himself into one of the oversized chairs. He didn't know what to do. He needed to find a way to stop John pushing him away.

After five minutes or so the deliveryman came through and he handed Randy the documents to confirm the installation and Randy helped him out with the old dishwasher. He went back to the family room and sat on the edge of his seat. He was about to ring his mom to talk it through but for some reason he found himself dialling Sam's number.

"Is Sam there," he greeted as Neil picked up the phone. "Tell me why? Why did you tell her we were having an affair? Sam you know that wasn't the case. I've told you, John and I didn't get together until after we separated. All these years, my daughter thought I cheated on you and that's why we divorced. You even told her John was the reason behind it."

Randy paced the room as Sam shouted down the phone at him not giving him the chance to say any more.

"I've got news for you Sam. I was the one that kissed him. I wanted him. He wanted to wait until the divorce had gone through, but I kept on at him. I told him that the divorce could take anywhere between a couple of months and a couple years," Randy continued to say. "I know it must have been hard to hear that your husband was gay, but it was harder for John and me to go through that. We didn't know what we were feeling. It took me nearly four years to admit to myself I was gay. Do you really think I was having an affair when I couldn't even let myself admit it?"

Randy was fuming by this point. He was letting all of his frustrations out on his ex-wife but he couldn't stop. That one lie was the basis for Alanna's resentment and it was rooted so deep in her now, he wasn't sure how to get her to see the truth.

"I gave up so much for her happiness, and you just made sure to take advantage. I never realised until now, how much of a bitch you turned into," he seethed, hanging up on her before she could respond.

He punched the wall, letting out the last of his frustrations and then headed back to the kitchen to tidy up. When he entered, he saw Alanna out on the veranda making herself some waffles with the mixture still sat out there. Before heading out with her, he grabbed the information on the dishwasher to read through.

"Do you want some?" Alanna asked as he took a seat at the table.

"No, I lost my appetite, thanks anyway," Randy said, brushing a kiss to her head. "You were late up today."

"I was watching a movie before I got up," Alanna replied as she continued to make her waffles. "What was all the commotion about earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Randy asked, looking up from the information he was struggling to read without his glasses.

"Sounded like you and John were arguing," Alanna commented, unable to meet her father's eyes.

"It wasn't an argument; he's just…" Randy started to say, drifting off when he realised he couldn't tell Alanna it was because of her.

"I upset him," Alanna said sadly as she took a seat opposite Randy.

"Little bit, yeah," Randy said taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "He's getting it in his head that I'd be better off without him."

"He said that?" Alanna asked. She knew she'd said something along those lines and she regretted it. But she couldn't help the way she felt. She didn't like people lying to her because they thought they were protecting her.

"No, but I've seen this before," Randy said.

"When?"

"When you were in kindergarten. The other kids were teasing you because of us. It had just become public that we were together and he talked himself into taking a break. I didn't know what to do to stop him, so I went with the flow," Randy said. "Thankfully we realised we couldn't stop our feelings. You were young, you were going to learn to cope with the comments; and the other kids would forget about it in time; and they did."

"Okay, fine," she said eating her waffles. "I get it, you love him. Doesn't mean I can forgive him for separating my family. If it weren't for him, you'd still be with mom and we'd be together in St. Louis."

"Al, when are you going to get it," Randy said calmly. "John was telling you the truth. We weren't together until after the separation. He was also telling the truth when he said that I kissed him."

Alanna shook her head at her father's words. He couldn't work out how to get her to understand.

"I'm not trying to cause a rift between the two of you, I promise. But you have to understand, she lied," Randy said, holding Alanna's hand, trying to get her to take it in. "I don't know why, maybe to make her feel better. Maybe it's what she was telling people when they asked, and she believes it's what actually happened. But it isn't."

Alanna pushed his hand away and picked up her plate, taking it into the kitchen. Randy got up to follow her.

"Don't try to make mom into a liar. Just admit that you had an affair," she yelled. "I'm old enough to know the truth."

Alanna stormed from the kitchen and half a minute later Randy heard her bedroom door slam shut. Randy was starting to feel angry at the situation again. He was pissed off at everyone, especially Sam. He didn't know the reason behind her lies but he hated her for telling them. He was living in a house where no one was talking to one another without becoming tense or an argument happening.

He needed to find a way to stop John's thoughts getting the best of him. He couldn't lose the man he'd fallen in love with all those years ago. He was too invested in the relationship. He they separated, there was no chance he could survive.

As for Alanna, he knew only time and persistence would make her realise they weren't lying to her. She was his daughter and he would always love her no matter what. He just hoped it was enough for her.

* * *

><p>The day flew by and before Randy knew it he was back in the kitchen, fixing up dinner. He still hadn't heard from John but he was still preparing enough food for three people. He would just have to cook the salmon when John got home.<p>

"What time are we eating?" Alanna asked coming in to grab a drink.

"When John gets home," Randy said.

"When's that?"

"I have no idea," Randy said, continuing to chop the food for the side salad.

"He's been gone all day," Alanna commented.

"I know," Randy said quietly. He wasn't in the mood to talk; the longer the day went on the worse Randy was feeling about his relationship with John. He was starting to panic that John wasn't coming back.

"Any chance we can eat before he gets here, I'm getting hungry," Alanna asked.

"We always eat together," Randy said void of emotion.

"Of course, even though he's probably not going to be back until god knows what time," Alanna said complaining.

"Ally, I beg of you, please will you just try to understand. We didn't lie to you," Randy said. "So stop acting like some great big injustice has happened to you."

"I'm hungry, dad, that's all," Alanna complained.

"Then have a snack," Randy suggested.

He looked up when he heard the front door open and he quickly went to greet John. It had been a hell of long time since Randy had spent so much time away from John and he hated it. He didn't give John the chance to head into his office, as he took hold of his wrist and dragged him into the family room, closing the door behind them.

Randy pulled John into his arms, smashing their lips together. He shoved his tongue into John's mouth and Randy didn't stop kissing him until he needed to breathe. As soon as they took the long needed breath, Randy pushed him back against the door.

"Don't even think about trying to leave me. I am not better off without you," Randy stated clearly. "This has been an excruciating day for me. I kept thinking you weren't coming back to me."

"Randy, all I'm doing at the moment is causing problems for you and Alanna," John said looking away from Randy's intense gaze. "I don't want to do that. If she can't accept us, then how can we stay together?"

"I don't care; I need you," Randy said pressing his forehead against John's. "Please, darling, don't do it. Not to us."

John stood there for a while, not able to respond to Randy. The more he thought about his conversation with Alanna, the more he felt guilty. Maybe if he and Randy hadn't kissed that second time, Randy would still be with Sam. Therefore, maybe it they weren't together, Randy could try to reclaim what he had with her. Have his family back properly.

John knew he was strong and would be able to move on in time. It may hurt like hell to begin with but with distance between them it would be easier than if they were still touring.

"That's stupid logic, Johnny," Randy said.

"What?"

"I've known you too long. I know what you're thinking. I don't want her. I want you," Randy said, remaining strong in his words. "Now get those thoughts out of your head. I'm in it for the long haul. You're stuck with me."

"Ran-"

"I'm cooking Salmon for dinner, we're sitting down as a family, now come and keep me company when I cook," Randy said taking hold of his wrist again and dragging him through to the kitchen. "Now tell me about your day. How was the meeting with the contractor?"

John took a seat at the breakfast bar and kept Randy company as the younger man prepared their tea for the night. It didn't take them long to get back to their usual banter and Randy's fears started to disperse as the night went on.

He called Alanna down when the food was ready and he served up the salmon dinner for the three of them. They sat in what had become the usual silence when eating until Randy tried to make conversation, chatting about the next pay per view which was due at the end of the month. John joined in the conversation, trying to move passed the tension which had built up over the last couple of days but Alanna was resistant.

"I was thinking we could do a trip up to Lettuce Lake Park, later in the week," Randy said. "What do you think, Ally? You always said you'd like to go back."

Alanna shrugged her shoulders in response as she ate the last of her dinner.

"It sounds good, honey," John said. "We could take a picnic with us, spend the day up there. Maybe stop for a meal on the way back as well."

"I like that, no cooking for the day," Randy mused. "I won't know what to do to fill the time."

"I can help you with that," John joked, sharing a private joke with Randy.

"Am I invited or are you two setting up a date?" Alanna snapped, pushing her plate away.

"Of course you're invited. We just got carried away," John said trying to alleviate the tension. "I'm sorry."

"You always get carried away. You have to remember it's not all about you, John," Alanna said snidely. "Dad, can I be excused?"

"You can go to your room. After you apologise," Randy said, unhappy with his daughter.

"Whatever," Alanna said rolling her eyes. "I'm sorry, John. You're feelings always have to come first."

"Alanna," Randy snapped. "Get to your room, now."

John's head hung as Alanna's words sunk in. Randy was always putting his feelings first. He did when they were watching Money in the Bank, and he was now. John could handle Alanna, he didn't need protecting. He just wanted Randy's life to be easier.

"I have work to do," John said, leaving the table and heading to his office.

"Johnny," Randy sighed trying to stop him but it was no good.

Randy heard the door to John's office close and the same panic from earlier in the evening quickly settled back into his stomach. He held his head in his hands for a moment as he sat at the table, taking it all in. Alanna was getting more and more aggravated with John and he and he couldn't find the solution; and he needed to before I grew out of hand.

He collected the plates on the table and took them over to his new dishwasher. He loaded everything into the machine and then double checked the instructions to make sure he had the settings correct before starting it. It was still early but Randy couldn't take any more of this day. He went upstairs to his room and led down on the bed, closing his eyes to get some sleep.

He tossed about on the bed for about ten minutes trying to get comfortable but the same thoughts which had been haunting him all day were still floating around his mind. He kicked off the bed and stormed into the bathroom, starting the shower before stripping down and stepping under the spray. He stood there letting the water hit his body, working the knots out of his shoulders. If only it could work the thoughts out of his mind as well. He leant back against the wall of the shower, his head resting against the cool tile. Between John's thoughts of leaving him and Alanna's attitude, Randy was near to giving up.

He switched the shower off after twenty minutes and dried off before slipping his pyjama bottoms on. He closed the blind on his window in hopes of blocking out the last of the day's sun and then climbed back into bed. The thoughts still swirling round in his brain, Randy felt the frustrations of the day building up inside and threatening to spill out on the pillow.

He wasn't sure if he'd fallen asleep or if time had slipped away from him but the next thing he knew John was climbing into bed behind him. As soon as John was settled, Randy turned over on the bed and curled into him, needing more than ever to feel his lover. He held onto him for dear life, scared he was going to leave him.

"I'm not going anywhere, honey," John whispered, pulling Randy tight to him. Randy gazed up at him, questioning him.

"I've known you too long. I know what you're thinking," John said repeating Randy's words from earlier.

**A/N: Keep rocking the reviews**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Okay, works a little quieter this week so I've managed to get another chapter written. Next one probably won't be until the weekend now.**

**I also managed to get Chapter 10 posted the other day but I think it was missed by a lot of people because I posted the same day as Chapter 9 (two in one day - I was on a roll!). Anyway, because it was the same day, the story didn't get moved back to the top of the list and therefore I think it was missed.**

**Anyway, if you didn't see it and go back to read please, please, please leave a review for both chapters (if you haven't already) because the numbers slipped.**

**Hope you enjoy.**

Randy and John were walking along the boardwalk of Lettuce Lake Park holding hands as they talked about their plans for the rest of the week. Alanna was a few steps ahead of them with her nose in a book she'd purchased at the visitors center.

Thankfully after things came to a head earlier in the week, the tension in the house eased and Randy was feeling better about everything. He still wanted to find a time to have a one on one chat with Alanna about his relationship with John but he was worried it would turn into another argument.

They were walking along when John pointed out an alligator which was bathing in the water near the edge of the lake. Randy broke away from John and caught up with Alanna, looping an arm around her shoulders and directing her toward the fenced off area, her eyes still glued to the book.

"You're missing out, Ally," Randy said as he pointed to the alligator.

"Ooh, cool, my favourite," Alanna said smiling as she watched the animal. "John have you seen it?"

"I can see it from back here, thanks," he said keeping his distance.

Randy walked up to him and dragged him from the path towards the fence so he could take a closer look.

"Darling, there's nothing to be scared of, it's only a young one, look at the size of it," Randy said encouraging John to step closer. "Besides, I'm here to protect you… you big chicken."

John stepped closer to see the animal as it sat in the sun, having moved out of the water. All three of them stood watching it for a while, John staying as close to Randy as possible. Alanna was telling both of them the history of the park which she'd been reading about in her book and Randy and John listened, amazed at how much she'd taken in since she'd started reading it thirty minutes ago.

They were still chatting and watching the animal when out of the blue the alligator sneezed, causing John to jump a mile. Randy and Alanna started laughing at the older man's reaction, especially when he wigged out when the gator moved a couple of steps closer.

"You know what, I'm getting out of here," John said already moving away. "Who wants a hot dog?"

"I'll take a burger instead," Alanna said as Randy nodded confirmation of a hot dog.

"Don't get eaten," John shouted as he wandered toward the burger bar nearby.

Randy watched him walk over and spied the long queue which was already there and figured he was going to be a while. He nudged Alanna, as they rested against the fence, getting her attention.

"Since we've got a little bit of time, want to talk?" Randy asked.

"What did I do this time?" Alanna sighed, pushing away from the fence and returning to the path to get away. Randy jogged to catch her up and stopped her before she could get too far away.

"Nothing, I just," Randy stalled. "I just want to make sure you're happy, since moving here. You're my little girl. I don't want to see you upset."

"Dad, I chose to move here. It's just…" she started to say but stopped.

"What?" Randy said leading over to the grass so they could seat down and talk.

"You always take his side. It's like you only care about your precious Johnny and what he's feeling," Alanna said finally letting it out.

"I'm sorry; I know I didn't handle things with the popcorn very well, but-"

"I'm not meaning that; you said not to eat it all, and I did," Alanna said shrugging her shoulders. "You overreacted but I get why you were mad about that."

"Then what is it, specifically," he said pulling her into his side.

"You're more concerned that he was upset because I wouldn't let him lie to me about the affair. I'm not a naïve kid anymore. You can admit it was an affair," she said picking at the grass with her fingers. "I might be angry about how it changed our lives, but I'd get over it. You didn't even understand I may have been upset. You were too focused on John."

Randy sat for a moment taking in what she said and trying to think of the best way to handle it. He didn't want to get in another argument but he had to make her see that what they were telling her was the truth. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.

"If I tell you everything about how our relationship started, will you listen to me?" Randy asked softly. She nodded in reply and looked at her father with pleading eyes. All she wanted was to know the truth.

"As long as you don't lie," she said.

"Ally, I've never lied to you. Even when you were three I've always been honest with you," he said. "If you want to ask any questions you can, but please don't get wound up."

Alanna nodded in reply and shifted where she sat so she was leant on her side and Randy mirrored her position before starting the story.

"Okay, Johnny told you we kissed before you were born, yes?" Randy clarified with his daughter. "Did he tell you the reason?"

"No," she said. "Do you need a reason?"

"When you're a straight man and you're kissing your best friend; you need to know there's a reason," Randy said with a smirk. "And I have to admit, that reason was you."

"How's that possible?" Alanna asked confused.

"Your mom had just told me we were going to be parents, and I was excited at first. I was going to be a father; there's no feeling in the world that can compare," Randy explained. "But then, the more I thought about, the more I was freaking out. I've always told you I had problems with drugs before you were born; and it got worse when I found out about you."

Randy continued to explain about how the first kiss with John happened. He could see that Alanna was getting upset, probably because it seemed as though John had come looking for something, but in all honesty he was just trying to be a good friend.

"John freaked on me, left the room after we kissed, not even so much as a 'see you later'," Randy explained. "I was just dumbfounded. I did realise in the morning though, it was the first time in weeks I'd had a good night's sleep."

"Is that when it started?" Alanna asked, not looking at her father. "The affair, I mean."

"Ally, sweetheart; I wish I could make this simple and confirm everything you think happened, but the truth is, we didn't have an affair," Randy said as John returned with their food.

Randy could sense straight away that John was nervous about what they were talking about. Neither of them wanted to have a public argument, they just wanted to move on.

They ate for a few minutes before Alanna asked him to keep going with the story. If they didn't get together at that point, she wanted to know when it happened. Randy explained about the chat they'd had a few days later and how both of them had moved on from the kiss and it didn't change anything until 2012.

He explained to her about the breakdown of his marriage with Sam and how deep down he was starting to realise it was because he was recognising something inside he never had before. As things got worse between he and Sam, his feelings for John were emerging and by WrestleMania of that year, those feelings came to a head.

"We never spoke about any feelings we may be having, but I knew John was starting to embrace his change in sexuality when we both discreetly checked the same guy out at a club one night," Randy said, smirking at the reaction he got from both people.

"What guy?" John asked after swallowing the food he almost choked on.

"Johnny, I didn't exactly go up to him and get his name and number. I wasn't even 'out'," Randy said. "I do remember he was tall, good looking with light brown hair."

"Me thinks I need to do some hunting around for this man," John said jokingly.

"You worried I'm going to track him down and run off with him, please," Randy scoffed. "I just got you trained."

"You do realise I'm your daughter right, I don't want to hear about you checking guys out," she said screwing her nose up. "It's gross, you're both old."

"I'm not old," John said sulking.

"Old or not, you're mine," Randy said, kissing John quickly.

"Daadd," Alanna complained.

"Alright, alright," he said smiling.

He continued his explanation and told her about how he had been the one to search John out that night. It had been a big night for John since he'd been up against Dwayne. He explained he was looking for a way to celebrate his birthday considering he'd had to work and things weren't great with Sam and him; and he wanted to celebrate with John. He made sure not to mention the fact that John was only wrapped in a towel while in the shower room.

Randy went through the last weeks of his marriage, and Alanna listened carefully, taking in everything he said. He kept as calm as possible when she kept coming back to the supposed affair and each time he tried again to let her know there wasn't one.

"I'm not lying sweetheart, there was no affair," Randy said again as she asked the same question. "I will admit to trying to persuade John to go out, after your mom and I separated but, Mr High Morals here wouldn't agree. He insisted on waiting until the divorce went through. The day it did, I was at his door."

Alanna sat there for a while, playing with the pages of her book while she tried to take in the story. Randy felt like she was starting to accept the truth and he hoped it would put an end to her confusion. He hated to see her in that state.

"I need to call mom," Alanna said as she stood up and took out her cell phone. "I'm going for a walk."

"Why don't we meet back here in forty minutes? Gives you a chance to catch up with her and have some time to yourself."

Alanna nodded before walking off and Randy sighed. He just hoped he'd explained enough so that she can see he and John were being honest.

"Why don't we go for a walk ourselves?" John suggested, hopping up and holding his hands out to help Randy.

They headed for the woodland walk, surprised to see such few people heading in the same direction. John figured it was because they all wanted to stay in the sun as long as possible and tan. Even in Florida, today was a beautiful day.

Randy wrapped his arm around John from behind, pulling him back into his body, whispering his dirty thoughts in John's ear. It had been nearly three weeks since they'd been together and both of them were starting to get antsy. There were only so many times a hand-job or blowjob would keep you going before needing to feel a proper release.

John stopped in his tracks, growling at Randy's incessant comments and the affect they were having on him.

"Will you behave," John admonished before dragging his head down for a hard kiss.

Randy's hands went straight to John's hips, pulling him tight to his body as they fought for dominance of the kiss. Randy let John fight for a little while before it became too much. He bit John's bottom lip and took control as John whimpered into his mouth. His hands slid up under John's t-shirt and the older man ran his hands over Randy's arms, feeling the muscles, still strong under his touch.

Randy ripped his mouth from John's and looked around to see if anyone was nearby. When he couldn't see anyone, he slid one of his hands under the waistband of John's pants and gripped his hardening member through his boxers, causing John to moan loudly at the touch he longed to feel for days.

"Honey, please, stop," John groaned.

"Why would I stop? I haven't had your ass in weeks," Randy complained. He grasped John's shirt and pulled him into the trees so they were far enough back from the path where they wouldn't be caught. "What better way to reclaim it, than out in public."

"You can't be serious," John moaned as Randy stroked his cock.

"I'm deadly serious," Randy said shoving him hard face first against the trunk of a tree.

He practically ripped open John's pants and pushed them down with his boxers, just far enough to expose him.

"I know your sucking skills are still fantastic," Randy whispered pressing his lower half against John, while putting his fingers to John's lips. "Work on these for me."

John took Randy's hand in his to steady them as he lubed them up for Randy. Randy was in heaven as he watched and felt John work his magic on his fingers; he couldn't wait until he was fully inside John. John let his fingers go with a pop and Randy moved his hand down to John's entrance, teasing the opening before pushing one in.

He wanted to push both straight in but he couldn't do that to his lover since they hadn't been together for weeks. He worked the finger in and out, stretching John, causing him to moan, begging for more. Randy was happy to comply and he pushed a second finger in, scissoring the hole, making sure John would be able to take him.

"Honey, please," John begged. He pushed back on the fingers before jerking forward as Randy's fingers brushed against his sweet spot.

"I want to make sure you're ready, it's been a while," Randy warned while opening his opens pants. He freed his cock from the confines of his boxers and spat in his hand to lube himself up. "Not to mention, I don't have lube on me."

"Huh, here's me thinking you planned this," John moaned as Randy removed his fingers.

"Not this time," Randy said stepping close to John, lining his cock up with his opening. "You ready?"

"Just do it before I remember we're in public," John warned.

Randy pushed slowly into John, feeling his head move past the tight ring of muscles. He was about to stop and let his lover adjust to the invasion but John reached back and pulled him in by the hips, silently telling Randy he didn't want him to stop.

"Fuck… that feels good," John moaned loudly.

"You're telling me," Randy groaned in satisfaction, resting his head against John's. once he was over the initial sensation of being inside John, Randy pulled out so only the tip was left inside his lover. "You ready? I'm going to fuck your ass so hard."

"Randy, honey, please," John begged quietly, his fear of being caught taking over.

Randy thrust back into him, hard causing both men to groan at the friction. He pulled back out and repeated the action one more time, hitting John's spot dead on. John buried his head in his hands, stifling the loud moan which escaped his lips. Randy gripped John's hips tight as he started drilling into John over and over, making sure he was pushing John to his climax as quickly as possible. He knew neither of them would last, especially considering they were in public as well.

John was clawing at the tree with one hand and gripping onto one of Randy's hands which till sat on his hip as the younger man continued to plough into him.

"Fuck… Randy… I can't believe… ohhh fucckk… we're doing this," John said throwing his head back as the feeling he missed started to build in his cock. "Fuucckk… Ran… fuuucckkk that's it."

"I've… fucking… missed… this," Randy said through gritted teeth, punctuating each word with a hard thrust of his hips. "You better be close, darling… I'm going to explode in your ass any minute."

"I'm there, honey… ohh fucckk… I'm there," John moaned as he gripped his cock, stroking it fast, pushing him to the same edge he could feel Randy stood at. The erratic thrusts from Randy signalled his approaching climax.

"Johnny…shiitt… darling," Randy cried as he exploded inside John, collapsing against his body. He reached forward and took over stroking John's cock. "I want you to cum."

His whispered words were enough to send John spiralling and he shot his load over Randy's hand and the tree in front of him. Randy recovering first pulled their clothes back in place and yanked John into his arms, letting the older man continue his recovery. He looked at his watch and saw the time.

"We should start heading back," Randy said, surprised at the lack of breath he still had.

"How long we got?" John asked, snuggling into Randy.

"Twenty minutes, but I think we need to take our time," Randy said, a smirk spreading across his face. "I wore you out, and being the old man you are, you need to take it slow."

John pulled out of Randy's arms and tugged him from his resting spot against the tree, directing them back to the woodland path. They took their time walking back hand in hand, enjoying the time together, and quibbling over recent sports events. John stopped just as they were getting back to the meeting point and Randy turned to face him when he felt him stop.

"I forgot something," John said, patting down his pockets looking for something. "Oh, that's right. One more old joke and we still have two spare rooms."

"I thought I got away lightly with that," Randy laughed at John's threat, pulling him into his side again.

As they got back to the meeting point, they saw Alanna lead out on the grass reading her book. When they got closer, Randy could see the reddish tint to her eyes and he knew she'd been crying. He mentally cursed himself for not being there for her. He threw himself onto the ground and covered her book with his hand.

"What happened?" he asked, breaking her concentration.

"I talked to mom; she said you called her the other day," Alanna said, not looking at her father. "She said you were yelling at her, calling her a liar."

"I was angry; you know how I get when I'm upset. I'm not excusing what I did; my emotions got the best of me," Randy said. "I never called her a liar. I just tried to find out why she told you we were having an affair when it wasn't true."

"Mom said you called her a bitch," Alanna accused.

"Randy," John said quietly, letting him know of his disapproval.

"Don't start John, I was angry. You kept disappearing every day, even when you were home. Al, you weren't even attempting to accept anything other than your mom's words as the truth. I was pissed off; it slipped out."

"Why wouldn't I believe her, she's the one who's been there for me all these years," Alanna said, pushing off from the ground. "You've been too busy with your boyfriend to be worried about me."

John rose from his spot and went after Alanna as Randy sat on the grass feeling sorry for himself.

"Ally, that's not true. The number of times he's spoken to you when you were upset, he was straight on the phone to book a flight to St. Louis," John said calmly, trying to remind her of Randy's numerous visits over the year. "It's only since Neil came into the picture, it got tougher to arrange visits."

"Neil's not so bad," Alanna said. "At least he made my mom happy. You just tore the family apart."

"Alanna," Randy admonished.

"Randy, don't," John said putting his hand up.

"Ally, I understand, that's how you feel. I'm not going to argue with you over it," John said calmly. "I won't stop trying to convince you of the truth though. I love your father, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make the relationship between the three of us better."

Alanna didn't reply and just looked down at her feet for a few moments.

"Can we go home?" she asked quietly, looking between John and Randy.

"Of course we can," John said holding his hand out for the young girl. She tentatively took his hand and they headed in the direction of the car park.

Randy came up on the other side of her and pulled her into his side, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

"You still want to go out for a meal tonight? Save me cooking?" Randy asked and she nodded in reply. As they walked back to the car, he leafed through the book she purchased and noticed the leaf she used as a page marker. "Al, how fast do you read?"

"It's an interesting book," she said. "It was going through the history of the whole area."

"You like history?" John asked and again she nodded in reply. "You must get that from your mom, because he hates anything old."

"I don't hate you," Randy joked as his cell phone rang.

"Spare room," John threatened as Randy asked the call.

John and Alanna walked back to the car with Randy following and when they got in, John lowered the roof so they could feel the breeze as they drove back. The two of them talked about the other subjects Alanna enjoyed at school and which subjects she'd chosen for her upcoming year.

Alanna was telling John about some of the extra-curricular activities she was thinking of taking part in when Randy appeared and interrupted.

"Ted and Cody are in town for an FCW event next week, you two mind if they stay?" he asked, getting into the passenger side of the car.

"Providing the spare rooms aren't being used by you, I'm fine with it, what about you Al?" John asked.

"It's been a while, guess it'll be cool to see them," Alanna said, going back to the book she pinched back from Randy.

"That's three yesses, see you next week," Randy said. "Codes, we'll have plenty of food in, you won't starve."

**Please review :-)**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here we go... chapter twelve... and since I'm only six away from the first mile marker, I'll write a oneshot for review 100. If you're a guest reviewing please leave a name so I can dedicate. Will warn you though, I still have two to write from the last story so may be a little while til it appears... sorry.**

"Jesus fucking Christ, you're all grown up," Cody yelled as Alanna came out onto the veranda stopping dead in her tracks at his reaction.

"Cody," all three men admonished as he blushed and sank into his chair.

"Sorry," he said recovering and going over to greet her. "It's just been so long since we saw you last. I think you were seven, or something around that age."

"It's good to see you too," Alanna said nervously, being swamped by his hug.

He pulled her over to the table and she said hello to Ted who she felt more comfortable with since he didn't flood her with the same hyperactivity as Cody did. She remembered when she was a kid, how there was always a lot of activity when Cody was around, and for that matter, it was always that way with John as well.

She looked over to where he stood with her father and she wondered when he'd calmed down. Maybe her father's laid back personality was rubbing off on him. She watched them for a moment longer and admitted to herself she could see the love and happiness they shared. It was the little things between them, like quick kisses shared, or an arm around the other as they stood at the barbeque. She hoped as she moved into adulthood, she found her own relationship which lasted the test of time like theirs.

She still struggled to understand what went on in the past and both parents continued to tell her conflicting stories, but she was trying not to focus on it at the moment and trying to enjoy the summer before she went back to school.

"Are you coming to the show later?" Ted asked Alanna as they sat waiting for the food to cook.

"FCW? I don't know, I like watching wrestling but only WWE," Alanna said shrugging her shoulders. If her dad was going then she'd probably stay in and watch a couple of movies or have him drop her off at the movie complex so she could get out the house.

"Yeah, about that," Randy said in a slightly embarrassed tone.

"Your dad's going deaf," Cody jumped in.

"No I'm not, the line cut out, so I filled in the blanks," Randy defended himself.

"So instead of Pay per View you thought F-C-W?" John asked bringing over a plate of quarter pounders.

"It was an honest mistake," he called as he went in the house to get the salad.

Alanna chuckled at the banter between the four men as everyone grabbed a burger and filled their plates, as Randy carried the salad over to the table.

"And it was an understandable mistake, considering it's been five years since SummerSlam has been anywhere other than Miami," Randy said.

"That in itself means it was time for a change," Ted said pointing out. "You know the McMahons, five years in one hot and sunny climate, and then it's on to the next hot and sunny climate."

"I was surprised it's in the same state though," Cody said, tapping Ted's arm as he spoke.

"Look let's not get side-tracked. This whole conversation is about the fact Randy is getting old and going deaf," John said, pulling Randy down onto his lap, wrapping his thick muscular arms around his waist to keep him from getting away.

"So I get in trouble for calling you old, but you can drop the 'o' word whenever you like?" Randy asked, pulling John's arms from his body so he could move to his own chair.

"I've got two words for you…" John said jokingly.

"You wish," Randy said dryly in return.

"Sat right here," Alanna said turning his nose up at the comment. The last thing she needed was to hear comments like those. "And also, the point of the conversation was it's a pay per view tonight, not FCW."

"Exactly," Cody said jumping up to sit cross legged on the chair. "So are you coming? Want to see me and Teddy go at it?"

Alanna wasn't sure what to think for a moment as Cody's words could easily mean something different. Then again, maybe she was just thinking too much like her dad. Living with a gay couple made comments seem different.

"If these two are going, I'll be coming along with," Alanna said. "Can we get decent seats?"

"Already got some put back for you. Your favourite seat as well. Right on the aisle," Cody said getting animated.

"Can you please ask the cameramen to ignore us; we don't need people thinking we're going for a comeback," Randy groaned.

They settled down and were eating the dinner prepared by John, whose barbeques always amazed Alanna. She was never sure why he couldn't translate the skills into a kitchen. But, with that said, her dad never seemed to get barbeques right. That again was another reason they knew they were good together. They complimented each other.

As they all the men talked about wrestling, Alanna knew John and her father always felt like they were away from their surrogate family and they were missing out on what was happening in the business. It was their own choices to take a step back but Alanna felt like she wanted to see them have at least one more round before they gave it up entirely.

She sat back in her chair, participating in the conversation when she had something to offer, but simply enjoying the different company she had. It had mostly been fun, coming to live in Florida and spending so much time with her dad, but until she started school, she didn't really know anyone. At times over the last couple of weeks, it would've been nice to speak to someone outside of their household and who didn't know them.

As she sat there she couldn't help but notice Ted and Cody were sharing the same type of touches as she noticed between her dad and John. She didn't say anything but she wondered when their relationship had become something more than friends. She couldn't recall a conversation with her dad where he mentioned the change.

As the afternoon went on, the touches were becoming more and more apparent and when she went to get a drink she noticed their knees were leant against one another. She made a mental note to ask her dad when he happened. As she was pouring her drink her phone buzzed as she received a message from a friend in St. Louis.

"Dad, do you mind if I disappear? My friend wants to talk online," she said, poking her head outside.

"Yeah no problem, sweetheart," Randy said smiling her way.

"Al, I'm sorry, all we're doing is talking shop, we'll be better next time," Cody said looking back to the door where she stood.

"Cody, it's fine, honestly I don't mind," Alanna said. "I like wrestling as much as you guys… well almost as much."

"Are you sure?" Cody said getting up to pull her back. "We'll change the subject I don't want to alienate you in your own home."

"Codes, man, let her go. Poor girl wants to talk to her friend," John said laughing. "You'll see her after the show."

Just as Cody let go, Alanna's phone rang and she answered it as she walked into the house, it was her friend.

"I'm just heading up to get logged on. Sorry, crazy person at my house wouldn't let me leave," she said while laughing, loud enough Cody would hear.

"That's mean, Alanna Marie Orton," Cody called as he settled back into his chair.

The four of them quickly settled back into wrestling talk and Ted and Cody were telling them about the outcome of the match set for the evening. They'd been left to come up with a suitable match, which would leave Ted coming out on top but without the win. After John became the first ever loss from cashing in the briefcase, WWE had pushed it through with a mixture of other losses over the years and Ted was set to fall victim.

Cody and Ted had been offered help from some of the writers and producers but both were determined to come up with a good match on their own, wishing to prove their worth in the industry. Unfortunately they were struggling with the finer details. Reluctantly, they sought help from John and Randy, feeling they would at least give them advice if not help them fully plan out the match.

Randy could see how his younger friends were beating themselves up over the match. He had told them so many times not to worry unduly about a match. If they felt they couldn't come up with an appropriate idea that was why the producers and writers were there. All they had to do was make it look credible. Hell, before he retired, Randy himself was still seeking advice from those older and wiser, he'd realised over the years he didn't have to do it himself.

"Guys you've been working together for over fifteen years," John reminded them. "Work to your strengths."

"Listen," Randy said sitting forward. "When Johnny and I use to have our matches. We never use to plan them. Okay we'd talk about the spots we were going to do, like in the Iron Man match and the I Quit match but we knew each other so well we didn't need to lay out the whole match before going to the ring."

"He's right; you two know each other as well as Randy and I do," John said trailing off, not sure he wanted to follow his sentence through when he saw the look in Ted's eyes. John could see how he was struggling with something other than his match. "At least, like we did back in those days… Jesus even I'm saying I'm old, now."

"I think what he's trying to say is he agrees with me," Randy said smiling over his shoulder at John. "Go with the flow, and listen to the crowd's reaction. As long as you're getting a reaction, you're doing okay."

"Come on, if they start chanting 'boring' it's not going to go down well," Cody said as his shoulders slumped.

"The crowds are too used to the high flying and hard hitting approach; they don't appreciate the technical matches until about five, maybe ten minutes into it. Then they remember why they got into wrestling to begin with. How it all began," John said trying to calm Cody. "Have you got any inkling as to how you want to finish the match?"

"Cody getting disqualified," Ted said.

"Details, boys," Randy said.

"I'm on a roll, getting it set up to hit the Dream Street, but Cody gets out it and pushes me into the referee," Ted explained.

"I grab the belt and use it on Ted while the ref's out but Ted fights back. When I fall out to ringside I grab a chair and smash Ted with it just as the referee comes to. He sees and disqualifies me," Cody finished. "Then I keep hitting Ted."

"Sounds fine to me," Randy said. "Why are you worrying about it?"

"It sounds like it's already been done," Cody said.

"Codes, everything has been done, fifty times over; as long as you keep it fresh then it'll be fine," Randy assured him. "Besides, if they don't think the storyline is working they'll soon do something about it."

"I guess."

As they were talking, Ted checked the time and realised they would have to head over to the arena. Both men were due to take part in an autograph session before the event started. They said their goodbyes and shouted up to Alanna who came down to say goodbye and they all arranged the time to meet at the arena. John checked to see if they wanted a ride back to the house afterward but the Ted and Cody had rented an SUV for the day.

After they drove off, John and Randy set about clearing up the dishes from the barbeque and Alanna came out to help.

"Weren't you talking to a friend?" John asked as she started helping.

"She couldn't stay on to talk for long. Her mom was taking her out somewhere. We just wanted to catch up," Alanna said as she carried some plates in to the dishwasher.

"You miss everyone in St. Louis?" John asked trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, I guess. Having the laptop has helped though so I still speak to most of them at the moment. Can I ask you something?" she said as Randy came out and sat with them on the veranda once they'd finished. "Why didn't you two mention Cody and Ted were gay?"

John and Randy looked at each other and smirked a little. They'd suspected there was something going on the last time they visited but they weren't sure. But now, if Alanna suspected something as well then maybe they weren't seeing things that day.

"What makes you think that?" Randy asked.

"I don't know. I see resemblances between how you two are and how they are," she said shrugging.

"What do you mean?"

"Like earlier when John was cooking, you were stood next to him and I saw you kiss him every now and then."

"Wait you saw them kiss?" John said shocked at what Alanna said.

"No, sorry I'm not explaining it right," Alanna said trying to think of a better way to say it. "It was more like, you two steal kisses from one another, they would steal looks. Like they wanted to kiss each other, but couldn't in present company. I just figured they were shy about it."

Randy shot another knowing look at John before turning back to Alanna and explaining their thoughts from the previous month. He couldn't say for sure, but there was definitely something going on with the pair. Question was, did they know something was hanging between them.

"Sweetheart, I don't think they are," Randy said. "I'm glad you never said anything to them though, because I think they'll freak a bit when they realise they have feelings for one another."

"So you see it too?" Alanna asked.

"Probably because we've been through it as well," John said shrugging his shoulders. He didn't want to stay on the topic in case it raised other issues. "So, you excited? This is your first live event in a long time."

"It'll be fun. Especially since we've got good seats," Alanna said as she stood. "Do you think Cody and Ted will start dating?"

"I don't know sweetie," Randy said. "I do think we need to leave them to it though. If something happens it has to happen on their schedule. You can't force it."

Alanna headed inside to get ready, even though it was only early afternoon. When Randy commented on it John simply laughed, reminding him that his daughter was a teenager. She was going to start taking hours to get ready for nights like this.

They lounged out for a while, enjoying the one on one time while Alanna was in her room. Randy lay on the lounger with John in his arms; however the older man couldn't get comfortable, continuously adjusting his position. Eventually Randy had enough and pushed John up so he could move out from under him.

Without saying anything Randy went inside and made his way upstairs to his bedroom. Rifling through the drawer on his nightstand Randy grabbed the bottle he was looking for. He turned around to head back downstairs only to be confronted by John, leant against the doorframe of the bedroom with his arms folded tight across his chest.

"Did my lack of comfort annoy you that much?" John asked looking pissed off.

"Actually, yes," Randy said sauntering across to his lover. "And it is the reason I came to get this bottle of massage oil. Whether you're claiming your freebie or not, you're having a massage."

"Oh," John said relaxing and blushing at the same time.

"On the bed," Randy ordered pulling John into the room. He closed the door and turned the lock so Alanna wouldn't accidentally walk in. "Get naked first."

John felt a thrill go down his spine at Randy's words. Not even the words, just the way he said it, a pure order, laced with sexual promises. As he stripped out of his clothes he could feel Randy's eyes on him and it made his mind wander with lewd thoughts. How he wanted Randy to take his time with him, running his tongue over every inch of skin and then kneading his tight muscles with his hands. Once he was naked, Randy walked around him, looking his body up and down.

"Johnny, Johnny, Johnny," he said tutting. "I told you to get naked so you could have a massage. You shouldn't be getting in this state."

John bit back the moan he wanted to release when Randy took hold of his hardening member. He knew Randy was in a playful mood now and the best thing John could do was to keep quiet. The longer he did, the better he would be treated at the end.

"On the bed, face up," Randy stated with no emotion in his voice, but the lingering touch told John everything he needed to know. Randy was playing but he loved him. Randy went over to the dresser and retrieved the cock ring they kept there. "Don't want you losing control while I massage you."

John felt the cock ring slide on as he looked over at the clock. They only had an hour top before they had to get ready to leave and Randy's massages always take more than an hour. John groaned and Randy, who was already working his hands into the calf muscles of John's left leg, stopped immediately, scowling at John for interrupting him.

"Honey, I can't believe I'm going to utter these words, but, we can't," John said, hiding his face from the evil glare he would be receiving from Randy at this moment.

Randy lowered John's leg to the bed and slithered up his body before pulling John's hands away from his face and slamming them to the mattress. John knew he was going to be in trouble, and he couldn't help being turned on by the thought.

"Tell me, darling, why you would stop me when I was being kind to you," Randy said, reincarnating The Viper as he spoke.

"Because I know how thorough you are," John said gulping as he saw the angry look on Randy's face. "I didn't want to interrupt later when it would be harder to stop. I'm sorry."

"You always do this John, when I'm being good to you, you have to ruin it," Randy said. "You will have to make it up to me later."

"Mmm, I promise, honey," John said trying to work a hand free from Randy's grip to soothe the younger man. Randy only pushed him harder to the mattress, letting a smile work its way across his face before finally releasing John's arms. "Care to share a shower?"

"On one condition," Randy said, wrapping his arms around John's naked body. "You let me take care of your back for you; you're obviously still in pain."

"In the shower," John said pointing at the en suite. "Oh and Orton, get naked first."

"You're bossing me around now," Randy said laughing. "Don't forget you're still wearing something I haven't removed yet."

Randy led John into the en suite and stripped down as John started the shower. Once they were under the spray of the water, Randy discreetly removed the cock ring, throwing it behind him, as he softly kissed John. He let the water run over John's muscles, hoping they would loosen up a little more, before he started kneading the muscles of his lower back. Unlike in the bedroom, Randy had no plans of it turning sexual and just wanted to help his partner.

Once he was through with the massage, the men washed their bodies quickly and then started changing for the evening. John lay back on the bed still wrapped in his towel as Randy went through his dresser looking for the right top and he eventually found it. John smiled when he saw which top it was. Randy had a thing for tight shirts when he was at a wrestling event, whether working or not and tonight was no different.

"What?" Randy asked, turning back to the bed where John lay. John pushed himself from the bed and went over to Randy, kissing him gently.

"You're gorgeous, honey. Have I told you recently?" John said.

"A couple of times this week," Randy said smirking, stealing a kiss from John. "Get dressed."

* * *

><p>It was nearing midnight by the time Cody and Ted were leaving the arena, and although they were tired, they were also ecstatic. The match had gone off without a hitch and everyone backstage was appreciative of the way they worked in the match. Paul had even come up to them afterward, personally congratulating them.<p>

But right now they had two things they wanted to do. Get some food and get some sleep. They decided after a good match like that they deserved a takeaway and they headed to the nearest drive-through they could find.

The trip back to Apollo Beach was about forty minutes and they stopped for gas along the way.

"Do you want to head somewhere before we go back to the house?" Cody asked as Ted got back in the car.

"How can you still have energy to go to a bar?" Ted said, shaking his head in amusement.

"I don't mean a bar; I'm just not so eager to get back there and here them going at it," Cody said, shrugging.

"Come on, it won't be like that," Ted said, trying to persuade him. "Cody they've got Alanna in the house. They won't be going at it. I promise."

"Still, I'd rather get some fresh air somewhere first," Cody said looking over to Ted as he pulled out. "Pleeaassee, Teddy."

Ted didn't know what came over him as he gave in to Cody's request. Maybe it was just because he was tired. Or maybe it was because of Cody's eyes. The way he was playing the puppy dog eyes, and then there was his lisp. All the time they were coming through the ranks he barely even noticed it. But the last month or more, he couldn't help but notice how it sounded. He knew Cody was a little wary of it, but the more Ted heard it, the more he was becoming attracted to it.

He had no idea if Cody was noticing the slight changes in his behaviour. He hoped not. How do you explain to your best friend, you've started having thoughts of attraction to them? It was hard enough when you fell for a female friend, but when that friend was a guy, it became twice as difficult.

"Go along there," Cody said pointing to a right hand turn. "I'm sure we passed a lake, or maybe it was a part of the bay, I don't know. But it'll be deserted; especially at this time of night."

Ted wasn't sure why Cody was so worried about being alone. _You idiot; he's just concerned about the fans._ Ted followed the road along and sure enough there was a lake. Ted couldn't help but think it was somewhere he would bring a loved one if they wanted to be alone. Not a best friend. They pulled up and got out of the car and strolled along the bank.

"It's a shame we have to leave first thing. I always enjoy staying with John and Randy," Ted said. "The area has so many nice spots to take a walk, even at midnight."

"Aren't you glad I suggested not heading straight back now," Cody said slapping Ted's chest with the back of his hand.

Ted chuckled as he rubbed his chest where Cody had hit. Thankfully he was playing it on as though he hurt him, but really he just wanted to feel connected to the man. They continued walking for at least half hour before deciding to head back to the car as Cody declared there was no point in putting off the inevitable.

"Cody, will you relax," Ted said, grabbing hold of Cody's shoulders. "They're probably going to be in bed… sleeping."

When he realised he was still holding onto Cody's shoulders, he let go suddenly and tried to play as though he was looking for the keys to the SUV. When they got back to the car, they hopped in and made the remainder of the journey back to the house.

As they entered the house, Cody once again stayed behind Ted and held lightly onto his shirt. They could hear faint music coming from the rear. Ted led Cody through the house, following the music. He stopped dead when he saw John and Randy on the veranda.

"What i-" Cody started to say before Ted clamped a hand over his mouth, signalling to him to stay quite.

Ted went over to the counter and left a note for the two men, letting them know they were back and had already gone to bed.

Cody had been puzzled at first when Ted clamped his hand over his mouth, not that he minded the feel of his hands on him. Hell, he'd been going over his times tables in his head during the match so that he didn't get worked up.

When Ted went to the counter and wrote a note, Cody saw what Ted had seen and his heart fluttered a little, wishing it was he and Ted in that position. On the veranda, John and Randy were holding each other in their arms as they slowly danced to the music playing. He couldn't tell who was leading, and he realised it didn't matter. They were just sharing a loving moment.

He was getting lost in the romantic moment, when Ted pulled him away and they headed upstairs to the spare rooms.

"What time do we have to leave in the morning?" Cody asked.

"It's only up to Orlando, so we can take our time," Ted said, trying to remain quiet so they didn't wake Alanna.

"Want to go for a run in the morning, before breakfast?" Cody asked.

"Sounds good," Ted said. For some reason he didn't want to say goodnight.

"I've got to get some sleep. Six thirty we go for a run," Cody said, heading to his room.

Ted watched him go in before even opening the door to the room he was using and cursed himself. How could he want his best friend as much as he did now? It just didn't feel right.

**A/N: Just a reminder. There's a oneshot up for grabs to the person who completes review #100**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Nice long chapter to make up for the delay.**

Randy crept into the laundry room quietly as John was busy folding the clothes as he pulled them from the dryer. He loved watching John move about. It didn't matter what it was he was doing, he just loved the way his body moved. John had often told him the same thing over their thirteen years together.

He leant against the wall of the room as John continued in his work. He must have been there for another five minutes before John even noticed his presence.

"Morning, honey," John said, kissing Randy softly before resuming the task at hand.

"You know, I wanted to start this day a little differently," Randy said, cocking his head to the side as he watched John bend over to pick up a towel he'd dropped. Biting his lip, he tried to stop the thoughts running through his mind. "Why did you get up before me?"

"Because I woke up at five a.m., I didn't see the point in both of us losing sleep," John said turning round and catching Randy looking at him with a look of lust. "I'm going to be limping about today, aren't I?"

Randy smirked as he closed the door to the laundry room. As soon as the door was shut, he was peeling his shirt off and beckoning John over to him.

"If you didn't bend over so much, I could've contained myself," Randy said, spinning John around slamming him against the wall. He went straight for John's shirt and ripped it up and over his body. Latching his lips onto John's revealed body. He skated his lips and tongue down John's body, enjoying the abs which were prominent on his stomach. As his tongue travelled over the area, his hands got busy opening John's pants and soon enough they were pushed down to the floor with his boxers.

"Honey," John whined as Randy moved his exploration to John's thighs, purposely missing his already hard erection.

"See, if you were in bed when I woke up, we could have taken our time," Randy said, licking up the underside of John's shaft causing him to moan. "Now, it's got to be all rushed, and all you get is a quickie… and you know what I'm like when I only get to have a quickie."

John groaned as he recalled the countless times Randy shoved into him when they were in a rush. So many times in the car when they were running late to a show, even when they were on the bus together and one of them needed to head out on a press run. Those times were the moments John thought he was in heaven. Because Randy would give it to him harder than he ever did before.

"No time to get nostalgic, Johnny," Randy said shoving John to his knees, bringing him from his thoughts. "I didn't plan this… don't want to rip you open."

"You want to have sex, yet here I am, on my knees, doing all the work," John complained light heartedly.

"Shut up and lube me," Randy ordered, all playfulness gone from his voice.

John went to work and took Randy in in one go. Running his tongue along Randy's member as he bobbed his head, making sure Randy's shaft was moist enough for his whole. He was just getting in a rhythm when Randy pulled him off and up from his knees. Before he could even think of anything sarcastic to say, Randy turned John around and shoved him over the washing machine. No matter how much he knew he was going to be limping today, Randy knew just what to do to make him crave the sex they had.

"Do you want prep?" Randy asked as he lined the tip of his cock at John's entrance.

Normally John would have made some comment to Randy. But when he was in quickie mood, there would be serious consequences from sassing him. Instead, John shook his head. He wanted to feel the burn as Randy pushed into him and stretched him with his cock.

"No evil smirking, Orton," John said over his shoulder as he felt Randy start probing him. "Fuucckk."

"God, you're talkative today," Randy moaned out of annoyance and ecstasy. "Tell me when I can move."

Randy gripped the edge of the machine, his knuckles turning white as he held himself still. He wanted to plough deep into John but he refused to hurt him while they were going at it. He was just about to lose the willpower to stay still when John spoke up.

"Okay, Ran, honey," John pleaded. Randy allowed himself one smirk as he heard the familiar desperate tone to John's voice. Without responding to John he plunged the rest of the way into his lover who threw his head back, calling out in bliss. Randy immediately pulled back out and thrust in over and over again. The feeling of being inside John, so tight from the lack of preparation, was overwhelming, and his Johnny was feeling it as well.

"Fuck… honey… right there," John said, the level of his voice getting higher as Randy continued to pound into him.

"Jesus, I don't remember the last time we did this," Randy said, panting as he continued his thrusting. Every time he thrust into John, John's cock rubbed against the front of the machine and Randy could tell the added friction was pushing him to his limit.

"Fuck… fuck… fuck, Randy, I can't… take much more," John cried out as Randy continued his hard thrusts.

"Shit, darling, don't lie, you can take anything I give you," Randy said speeding his thrusting up. "Doesn't matter anyway… I'm about to ccccuuuummmm."

Randy sprayed his load, filling John up with his cum; something which never got old. When he finished, he pulled out of John, spun him around and fell down to his knees.

"Want a present?" Randy asked, smirking up at his partner.

"Fuck… yes," John moaned breathless.

Randy took him into his mouth and swallowed a couple of times letting John go down his throat. Randy looked up at John as he gently sucked on him and he could see he wasn't going to last any longer. Quickly remembering how loud his lover could be when he was wound up, Randy grabbed a towel from the nearby basket and handed it to John. John latched on to Randy's thoughts easily and took the towel to muffle his cries of ecstasy as he shot down Randy's throat.

Randy pulled off from John and slid back slouching against the wall in the small room to catch his breath. He chuckled as he noticed John gripping the washing machine to hold himself up and beckoned for him to join him. John slumped to the floor and Randy dragged him over so John's head rested on his stomach.

"That was better than taking our time in bed," Randy said smiling as his fingers worked through John's short hair, soothing his older lover as he caught his breath. They stayed there for another five minutes, not speaking, not needing to; just simply enjoying being with the other.

"I was thinking," Randy whispered, barely breaking the loving silence. "How about we go out tonight? Just you and me, save me cooking."

"You love to cook," John said, looking up at Randy. Puzzled as to why he wouldn't want to.

"I know; I just thought, the two of us, romantic evening, since it is-"

"Why don't you just ask Al to cook; she keeps talking about wanting to help out more," John said, sitting up and grabbing their clothes from the floor beside them. He handed Randy his shirt and slid his own on. "Speaking of, we should get out of here. She'll crucify us and then scratch out her eyes if she catches us in here."

"That's why I locked the door," Randy said winking at John. He reluctantly let himself be pulled up by John and slid his pants back on. As John went back to the task he was doing when Randy entered the room, Randy moved in behind John and wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on his shoulder. "Did you like my quick thinking with the towel?"

John chuckled a little and leant his head to the side so he could share a quick kiss with Randy. He loved how they still knew what the other was thinking.

"So if you don't want to do a meal, how about we take a romantic sunset walk tonight?" Randy asked still having his arms wrapped around John's waist as they moved into the kitchen.

"What's with all the romance today, honey?" John asked as he tried to carry the basket upstairs with his boyfriend still attached. "You do realise this would be easier and quicker if you detached yourself from me."

"So I take it, that's a 'no' as well," Randy said, finally releasing his hold on John as they entered the bedroom. Randy sat on the edge of the bed as John put away their clothes and then put the clean towels in the bathroom.

"Is it so bad, we'll do something another night," John said, shrugging his shoulders. "Honey, I just want a quiet night in today, okay?"

John took the basket along to Alanna's room, knocking gently to see if she was awake, when there no reply, he left the basket outside her door so she could sort out in her own time. He went back to the main bedroom and Randy was still sat on the edge of the bed, looking sorry for himself. John ignored the sudden downturn in Randy's mood, used to his mood swings over the years, and tapped his shoulder indicating to get off the bed. John pulled the sheets back on, smiling at himself as he thought of his lover getting tangled in them when he was alone; trying to seek him out, waking himself up when it dawned on him he was by himself.

He turned to speak to Randy but the taller man had disappeared and John heard things clattering around in the kitchen. For whatever reason, he knew Randy was upset and very possibly angry. Maybe he'd try and make it up to him later.

As the day drew on, Randy's spirits didn't lift, no matter what John tried to do. He'd suggested they spend some time in the pool when Alanna vegged out in front of the TV watching a movie and chatting with some friends on the phone, but Randy declined. He even suggested a trip to the mall, something Randy usually jumped at, since it meant he got to treat himself to new things, but even John's fall-back position didn't work.

In the end John decided to ride out Randy's downbeat mood and left him to his own company in the bedroom and went downstairs to the garage to work on his latest car which he was still trying to tune up. He put his headphones on and blasted some music as he worked and he soon forgot got lost in his cars and stopped worrying about Randy. It was only when he got hit around the head that he switched his music off.

"I've called you five times," Randy growled, still looking upset.

"I'm sorry, honey, I had my music on loud," John said, trying to get Randy to calm down. "What can I do for my sexy man?"

"Dinner's ready," Randy said turning his back on John as he tried to move in close. "Clean yourself up before you sit down."

John sighed. He knew he was going to have to sit down with Randy and talk about what was bothering him. This was the worst mood swing he'd seen since they'd both retired from wrestling.

He followed Randy through to the house and then ducked into the downstairs bathroom to clean up before heading through to the kitchen to eat. The whole meal was eaten in silence, and John could feel the tension brewing between him and Randy. He was sure Alanna could as well.

He watched Randy push his food around his plate rather than eat it. He was about to ask if he was feeling well, when the phone rang. Randy nearly leapt from his seat to answer it. John listened in and realised it was Randy's mom on the phone. He hoped a conversation with his mom would help. They usually did. Randy disappeared outside and sat on the steps which lead to the lower area of the yard.

"Are you two alright?" Alanna asked, bringing John from his worried thoughts.

"Yeah, we're fine. Your dad's just in a flunk today," John said, trying not to play it up.

"I was going to ask dad but he's been Mr. Miserable today; isn't your anniversary soon?" Alanna said. "I wasn't sure what date it was exac-"

"Sshhiitt!" John said holding his head in his hands. "It's the 18th today. How could I forget?"

"It's today!"

"Yeah, shit," he swore again "No wonder he wanted to do something romantic."

"No wonder he's been in a bad mood," Alanna replied feeling sorry for John.

"Can you go out there and speak to your Nan? I really need to sort this out," John asked of Alanna.

"I'll try; good luck," she said with a look which told John he was going to need it. Of course, he already knew that. Probably better than Alanna did.

John cleared up the plates from the table as Alanna went out to the backyard. He discreetly watched them talking, hoping Alanna was successful in commandeering the phone from her father. He wasn't sure what he could do to make it up to Randy, in the whole time they had been together, thirteen years to the day, they never missed celebrating. Hell, even when they'd been on the road and were working, they always did something special.

The first year, John even went so far as to beg some time from the crew at the end of the show once everyone had disappeared. He set up a picnic type meal for them in the ring and they spread out eating Chinese takeaway and drinking champagne. The year had been rough for them and he wanted to find a way to treat Randy. Little did he know, Randy had already planned something himself and once they left the arena, Randy drove them to a local make out spot where they spent some time together before heading on to the next town.

He leant against the counter as he wracked his brain trying to come up with something to do. There was no point in trying to deny he'd forgotten. It was too clear that he had. He didn't even have a card, let alone a present. He looked up when he heard the door open and went over to Randy to wrap his arms around him and hold his lover. The younger man didn't even let him get close.

"I'm tired, I'm heading to bed," Randy said. John looked at his watch as though to see the time.

"Honey, you haven't eaten anything," John said trying to take his hand and stop him.

"I said I'm tired," Randy snapped, pulling his hand away from John's.

"Ran, I'm sorry," John said. "I just realised the date. I just lost track of the days."

Randy stopped in his tracks but didn't look back at John.

"What are you on about?" he asked. John knew he was trying to stay angry but he heard the crack in his voice.

"Our anniversary," John said quietly, taking a tentative step forward.

"Oh that, don't worry about it," Randy said snidely. "It's only another day. No need to do anything special."

"Ran, honey, come on," John said moving closer. "We always-"

"Yeah, we do," Randy said in a whisper, trying to hold in his emotion. "I guess with Alanna moving here, we've had a lot going on. It's no big deal."

John stepped closer again and was just about to put his hand on Randy's back and wrap an arm around him when the tall man pulled away and headed for the stairs.

"I'm tired, I'm going to bed."

John watched him go and tried to think of a way to get him to talk, but it was no good. Everything he thought of, he pictured Randy rebutting, and he would be right to do so. John couldn't believe he'd forgotten. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, considering following Randy but it wouldn't do any good. All they would end up doing is arguing.

"How'd it go?"

"It didn't. He was tired so he went to bed."

"It's only seven," Alanna commented.

"I know. Come on, why don't we put a movie on. He hasn't eaten, if he gets too hungry, he'll come down. I can try again then," John said heading to the family area.

He let Alanna choose a movie and they each spread out on a sofa. Alanna was lost in the movie but John couldn't concentrate and every couple of seconds looked towards the door hoping to see Randy enter.

It was only when Alanna said goodnight, he realised he missed two entire films. He wanted to go upstairs but was afraid if he did he would get in a fight with Randy and he didn't want to end their anniversary like that. Even if he didn't realise what day it was, it had started like any celebration should. He was hoping to pick things up from the current situation.

He put another film on and grabbed a tub of ice cream from the freezer. He sat through the film, though not really paying attention and drowned his sorrows in the dessert. As he was eating, he suddenly thought of a way to make it up to Randy. He switched off the TV and headed upstairs, ice cream in hand.

He practically ran along the hallway and bounded into the room, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Randy in bed. He'd obviously fallen asleep before switching the lights off and John went over to the bed. He crouched down next to Randy and put the ice cream tub on the night stand. Running his hand over Randy's shaved head, John leant in and kissed his cheek, hoping to stir The Viper. It was no use though; he was too deep to rouse.

John stripped his clothes off and got into bed with just his boxers on. He went to move in close to Randy's back and wrap an arm around him, but even in his sleep, Randy wanted nothing to do with him.

"I'm sorry," John said, sliding back to his side of the bed.

* * *

><p>The next morning as John stirred, he automatically reached over for Randy, but after his hands couldn't find him, he woke up properly only to find himself alone. Already feeling uneasy, he hopped out of bed and went into the en suite hoping to find him but there was no sign of him. He pulled on a pair of pants and went downstairs to find him, hoping to talk about the previous day. He needed to make amends to Randy, big time.<p>

He looked around the house trying to find him but there was no sign. Ducking his head into the garage he saw Randy's hummer gone. John sighed; Randy only used the hummer these days when he needed to go for a long drive to think. His shoulders slumped and he went back to the kitchen. He might as well get something for breakfast now he was up.

He got himself a bowl of cereal and it was only when he was getting the milk from the fridge he noticed the note attached to the door.

_Cena,_

_Gone out for the day._

_Cleaned up your mess. _

_Ice creams melts you idiot!_

John grabbed the phone from its spot on the wall and tried ringing Randy's phone; almost immediately he heard music coming from the hallway and found Randy's cell phone on the entrance hall table.

"Fucking fantastic," John muttered.

"What's up?" John looked up as Alanna came downstairs.

"Nothing to worry about, your dad left his phone and I needed to get hold of him," John said, trying to brush it under the carpet.

"Let me see," Alanna said as she stood in front of the fridge. "No sickly sweet pet name, just use of the surname; short and to the point sentences; no see you later; and no name at the end. Didn't manage to sort it out last night then."

"Do you have any ideas on how to make it up to him?" John asked.

"John, I'm sixteen. I've not had a boyfriend last a year. Anyone I meet runs a mile when they meet dad," she joked.

"And I'm sure that's exactly what he plans to keep happening, especially since he'll get to meet them quicker now you're living here."

"Thanks, that makes me feel so much better," Alanna said pouring milk over John's cereal before making her own. "It's bad when you can't make your own cereal John."

John chuckled a little at the light hearted conversation he was having with Alanna. It seemed she overcame her concerns about when and how they got together and minus his faux pas with the anniversary, they were starting to become a family again.

"You can cook, right?" John suddenly asked as they were eating breakfast.

"Yeah, not as good as dad, but I can cook," she said in reply.

"Fancy helping me out with a meal for tonight?"

"What do you have in mind?" she asked.

"I have no idea," John said getting up and heading to the small bookshelf Randy had installed in the kitchen. "There must be something in one of these."

They started flicking through the books trying to come up with a three course meal which Alanna could help him cook. They were flicking through the books when Alanna suddenly stopped.

"Okay, say we do this; say it works; what the hell do you plan on doing afterward?" she asked.

"Well, historically," John said his eyes starting to glaze over. "How about I pay for you to go to the movies?"

"Ewww," Alanna said turning her nose up at the thought. "You're going to have to drop me off and pick me up; it's not like I know anyone around here yet to go with."

"That's fine," John said.

* * *

><p>After a trip to the supermarket and spending most of the day preparing the food, Alanna laid out exactly what was left to do as John set out the table with candles and found a cd with romantic music. The champagne was chilling in the freezer and before they knew all there was left to do was wait for the food to cook.<p>

They planned it so John would have enough time to take Alanna over to the Cineplex and drop her off and get home with plenty of time before the food was finished. They left a note on the fridge in case Randy got home when they were out and then left.

It was roughly half an hour later when John pulled back in and noticed Randy's hummer parked in the drive. John relaxed; glad his lover was finally home. He'd been worried all day long since there was no way to get hold of him. John went inside and heard Randy milling around upstairs. Before going up there to see him, he quickly lit the candles and turned the music on setting the mood.

He made his way upstairs and found Randy in a state of undress. He took a second to take in the sight, licking his lips at the thought of what he wanted to do with that body.

"Hey, you," John said quietly from where he stood. "I missed you today."

Randy ignored his comments and continued getting dressed. John wasn't sure if he was doing it on purpose to play a game with him or if he was still upset, but the clothes Randy was changing into made him think he'd seen the set up downstairs.

"Al helped with the meal," John said starting to wish Randy would speak to him. "You know she really is a mini you when it comes to her cooking."

Randy walked into the en suite and John walked across the room leaning on the doorframe as Randy sprayed some cologne and checked himself in the mirror. He turned to head back out to the bedroom but John stood in his way.

"Ran, I'm sorry," John said. "I hope tonight proves how mu-"

"I'm heading out; I bumped into Chris," Randy finally spoke.

"But, downstairs… the meal… Al and I-"

"Another time maybe," Randy said brushing passed John. He grabbed his wallet and John watched him leave. He followed him down the hallway and stopped him before they descended the stairs.

"Ran, I said I'm sorry," John pleaded. "What more can I do?"

Randy ignored the comment and walked down the stairs. He headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water but stopped as he entered the room. John really did go all out; as soon as he got home, he'd gone straight upstairs to change. Now he came in here he saw what John was talking about and he pulled at his heartstrings.

He turned on his heel and went back toward the stairs, stopping when he saw John sat on the bottom step, his head in his hands. He moved over to him and took a seat on the step, keeping distance between them.

"It hurt."

"I know; Ran, I didn't mean to," John said making sure Randy could tell he was being honest.

"Doesn't make it any less painful," he said the hurt evident in his voice.

"Please stay, the food will be done soon," John said. "Let me make it up to you. We even have the house to ourselves."

He moved to take Randy's hand but as soon his fingertips touched Randy pulled away and stood up.

"I should get going."

"Randy, wait," John said jumping up from his spot as Randy made his way to the garage. "What about the food?"

Randy ignored the question and jumped in the hummer, leaving John in the house.

* * *

><p>It was about eleven o'clock the next morning when Randy woke up. Automatically rolling over to search out John he only felt the mattress. He pulled himself together and looked at the time and he knew John wouldn't have hung around in bed this long, especially considering the way he left things the day before.<p>

Not bothering to shower, Randy went downstairs to get some Tylenol for his headache. As he entered the kitchen he looked over and saw Alanna reading a book in the family area and he grunted a good morning.

"John left you a note," she said without looking up from her book.

Randy went over to fridge and found the note she mentioned.

_ORTON,_

_SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT_

Randy tore the note from the fridge and screwed it up throwing it into the bin. He grabbed a bottle of water and down a couple of pills.

"I feel like crap, I'm going back to bed," Randy mumbled.

"Whatever," Alanna replied. Randy looked over at her and was about to say something but decided better of it. "Do you know how much effort he went to?"

"Stay out of it," Randy said heading upstairs. He heard Alanna move toward him and he hoped it was just a coincidence and she was heading to the bathroom.

"So he forgot. Dad he was devastated," Alanna said, pleading a case for John. "Are you telling me you've never forgotten an important day? He's human, he made a mistake."

Randy stopped in his tracks, Alanna's words hitting home. She was right. He had forgotten an important day. It was one of the reasons his marriage came to an end. He'd forgotten Sam's birthday the last year they were together. No card, no present, not even a phone call.

"I have a headache. I don't want to talk about this," Randy said, continuing to his room.

He heard Alanna continuing to follow him and he was starting to get wound up. When he had a headache only two things worked. A quiet, dark room or resting his head in John's lap as the older man massaged his temples. The last thing he needed at this moment was his teenage daughter giving him relationship advice.

"Dad, I love you, but grow up," Alanna shouted and Randy knew she'd done so on purpose. "Because if you don't you'll lose him."

"And I'm sure you'll like that, won't you? Let's face it, ever since you've been old enough to understand, you've hated the relationship," Randy yelled. "Maybe that's the reason you came here. It wasn't to get away from your mom and her husband, cause let's face it, you're mom can do no wrong, even if she blatantly lied to you most of your life. It wasn't about coming to live with me; it was about splitting me and John up, wasn't it? Well guess what? You can mind your own business."

Alanna stood in shock at the way her dad was speaking to her. She couldn't believe it. He'd told her off before, sure; he was her dad. But he'd never been cruel. She felt the tears brimming in her eyes and she turned away from him and headed toward her room, stopping just as she entered the door.

"I did come here to live with you, because I missed you," Alanna said as the tears fell down her face. She stepped into her room and slammed the door.

Randy's actions immediately sank in and he couldn't believe the way he'd spoken to his daughter. She was only trying to help and instead he threw it in her face and treated her like a complete stranger who was butting in to his life. He'd just got her back in his life and he'd probably be losing her before school even got started.

He made his way along the hallway and gently tapped on her door.

"Ally, I'm sorry, sweetheart, can I come in?" Randy asked, praying his daughter would forgive him.

"No," she screamed. "Just go away and leave me alone."

Randy could hear the sobbing coming from inside the room. He tried the door handle, desperately wanting to comfort his daughter, but found she'd locked it.

"Ally, please," he called, nearly crying himself.

"Go away," she screamed again.

Randy sank down the wall adjacent to her door and buried his head in his arms. He was officially the worst father ever. He must have sat there for a couple of hours waiting for her to emerge, and although the sobbing died down, she didn't leave her room.

He heard the door open downstairs and went down, desperate to feel some comfort from someone. As he reached the bottom of the stairs his heart sank as Rob, John's best friend stood in the hallway.

"Hey man, have you seen John?" Rob asked. "He was supposed to give me a call, he wanted to arrange a time for a workout."

Randy shook his head in reply and went into the kitchen.

"Everything alright?"

"Let's see, John forgot our anniversary and when he tried to make it up to me, instead I pushed him away and went out to get drunk with Chris. I woke up this morning to find he's gone out for the day. I then get in an argument with my daughter and tell her the only reason she moved in was to split John and I up. So… yeah… everything's perky."

"Okkaayy," Rob said, not really knowing what to say. "If you get hold of John, get him to give me a call."

"Yeah, sure," Randy said slumping onto one of the stools in the kitchen. He grabbed his cell phone and tried John's number. He let it ring until it went into voicemail. He was about to leave a message but stopped short when he couldn't think what to say.

He dragged himself upstairs and decided he needed to pull himself together. He tried John's phone once more and again it went to voicemail. He took a shower to clear his head and as he stepped out to tried again. Again he got voicemail. He tried again after getting dressed, after he made some food, and after making a coffee. Voicemail. Voicemail. Voicemail.

Moving to disgruntled person number two. Randy made a light lunch for Alanna as well as a hot cocoa with marshmallows. He took it upstairs on a tray and knocked on her door.

"Ally, I've made you something to eat," he said. When she didn't answer he tried a different tact. "I'll leave it outside the door. Please don't starve yourself."

He went back downstairs and tried John once again. Voicemail. When he was ringing though he heard Alanna's bedroom door open and he smiled. At least she was eating.

His day went on much the same. He pottered around doing things in the house in between calling John. Before he knew it the sun was setting and he was making dinner. Just as he was dishing up, he heard John's car in the driveway. He could finally relax; his Johnny was home.

He wiped his hands on a hand towel and quickly made his way to the front of the house. Way he saw John, he froze on the spot. He didn't know what to say. Instead he went over to him and wrapped him in his arms. The last couple of days had been hell on earth and he didn't want to let it continue.

"I'm sorry, darling," Randy said, melting when John returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry as well," John said. "You know I didn't mean to do it on purpose."

"I know. I'm sorry I ruined last night," Randy said. "I overreacted. I'm doing that a lot this week."

He took John by the hand and led him into the living room and pulled him onto the sofa. They lay there for a while, holding one another. John automatically massaged Randy's temples, like he knew he still had a headache.

"Where's Al?" John asked.

"In her room," Randy groaned as he thought about telling John of his latest failure. "I screwed up."

"What do you mean?" John asked confused.

"She was trying to talk some sense into me this morning, I lost my temper and yelled at her," Randy explained, pinching the bridge of his nose. "She got understandably upset and locked herself in her room."

"Has she come out at all?"

"I took some food up; she wouldn't open the door to me. I left it for her and I heard her come out and get it," Randy said.

"Want me to see if she'll talk to me?"

"I'd rather I speak to her," Randy said.

"You think I'll make it worse?" John asked, not believing what Randy said.

"What? No."

"Clearly you do, otherwise you'd take me up on the offer," John said, pushing Randy from his lap and leaving.

"John, I just meant-"

"Forget it, Orton," John yelled heading upstairs. "Apparently I'm not good enough to speak to her. Well, fuck you."

"John I didn't mean that. I just meant-"

"I know what you meant," John shouted as he slammed the door to their bedroom.

Randy screamed out of anger and punched the wall he stood next to. He went back to the kitchen and warmed the food through. He needed to make it right with both of them. He carried the two trays upstairs and put John's on the side unit as he took Alanna's to her. He knocked on her door and tried the handle but again found it locked.

"Ally, your dinner's here," he said quietly, resting his head on her door. "Please, will you speak to me? I'm sorry; I was angry and said a lot of things I didn't mean."

He stood there for another couple of minutes before relenting and put it on the floor as before. He went back to John's tray and headed to his bedroom. He went to open the door but like his daughter's found it locked.

"John, come on," Randy said, his emotions from the last couple of days coming through in his voice. "I get that you're angry but please let me in."

"Leave it there. I'll have it when I get hungry," John mumbled from inside the room.

"Johnny, come on, you've got to let me in at some point. It's my room as well," he said trying to reason with him. When there was no reply, Randy reluctantly left the food outside the door and went back downstairs.

He pushed his food around on his own plate before giving up on eating. He tried to find something to occupy his time but he couldn't concentrate with the entire household mad with him. He figured he might as well clean up the dishes and went to collect their trays. He went to Alanna's room first and picked hers up and then went over to his own room and collected the tray. After loading the dishwasher he switched everything off and went upstairs ready for the day to end. As he got to his room he found his pyjama bottoms folded on the floor.

He grabbed them up from the floor and made his way along the hallway to one of the spare rooms. He changed into his pyjamas and climbed into bed. For nearly half an hour to an hour he tossed and turned in the bed, unable to get comfortable without John beside him. He used one of the spare pillows to cuddle into but it wasn't any good. If anything the pillow stilled smelled like Cody and Randy felt odd trying to sleep in the bed.

Giving up on sleep, he went back downstairs and into the laundry room. He rifled through what bits of clothing were there waiting to be ironed and found one of John's shirts and some clean sheets which he knew were used in his room. Maybe if the bed had John's scent he could sleep.

Returning to the spare room, he stripped the bed of the sheets and threw them in the hamper ready to be washed. He put the new covers on the mattress and pillows and covered one of them with John's shirt. He unfolded the cover to the duvet and tried to figure out how he was supposed to get the duvet itself into the cover. When he worked it out, he started pushing it in and did the cover up. He got back into bed and pulled the pillow with John's shirt into his side and then pulled the duvet over him. No matter what he did though, he couldn't get it to flatten out.

He threw it off the bed and dragged himself out of bed, he was swearing to himself, trying to sort the duvet out when the door opened.

"What are you doing in here? You're going to wake the whole neighbourhood," John complained.

"I was changing the sheets," Randy said his frustration showing.

"And you decided to put the duvet in a submission hold. The thing's all twisted in there," John said still complaining. "Why are you changing the sheets anyway? I changed them after Cody left."

"They still smelt like him, and I couldn't sleep," Randy whined. John fixed the duvet and threw it back on the bed effortlessly.

"Why the shirt?"

"I can't sleep without you," Randy admitted.

"You've fallen asleep plenty of times without me," John countered.

"Yeah, when I've been in our bed; this is the spare. It doesn't have your scent," he said shrugging his shoulders like it was obvious.

John looked at him for a moment with soft eyes before closing the distance between them. He took Randy by the hand and they went silently back to their bedroom, John pulling Randy to him when they climbed into bed.

"I didn't mean, I didn't want you talking to her," Randy said quietly, resting his head on John's chest.

"I know," he said placing a kiss to Randy's head.

"I just meant I want her to speak to me."

"I know." Another kiss.

"I don't want to lose her."

"You won't." Another kiss.

"I don't want to lose you either."

"It'll never happen," John said, kissing Randy one final time as he fell into a slumber on his chest.

**A/N: Hope you all liked. Please review :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy. I'm working on another one shot this weekend. Hopefully it will be posted tomorrow, if not Sunday.**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

"Looking good, Mr Orton," John said, wolf whistling as Randy came downstairs. "I swear I'm dating a male model."

"You're just lucky I'm into muscles, Johnny, otherwise you would not have a chance with me," Randy said as he put his tie on.

Once he was finished he ducked his head into the living room where Alanna was sat. He wished she would give him the chance to make things up but being a teenager she was going through a stubborn streak.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Randy asked.

"Yes."

"If you need anything just give us a call, okay?" Randy said trying again to engage her in conversation.

"Fine."

"Ally, will you just talk to me," Randy said, desperate to mend things with his daughter, but she just kept watching some programme on TV.

"Ran, honey, I was thinking about taking the hummer tonight," John said coming into the room. "Since you don't trust me with the monstrosity-"

"I'll go pull it out of the garage," Randy said leaving the room. He was grateful for the gentle squeeze John gave him as he left. No matter what he did he couldn't get Alanna to forgive him.

Once Randy was out of the house, John went into the living room and sat down next to Alanna, looping an arm around her shoulders.

"You're going to have to talk to him at some stage. He hates that you won't even look at him," John said tentatively.

"Maybe he should learn to control his temper then," Alanna said. "It wasn't even his temper; it was his words that hurt. Do you think I've come here to break you up?"

"Of course not," John said hugging her to his side. "You've had a big change in your life moving here and then you're hearing different stories from everyone about how we got together. You've been confused, not vindictive."

"Maybe you should tell him that," Alanna said in a huff.

"I'll have a word tonight," John said, hugging her gently again before getting up and heading out. "We've got the phones if you need anything."

"Go already before you're late," Alanna shouted, amused as he left the house.

John jogged over to the hummer where Randy was waiting. His partner looked downbeat and John knew it was because of the situation with Alanna. It was because of these moments over the last week which caused John to regret even more forgetting the anniversary.

"I take it you want me to drive," John commented as he realised Randy had moved over from the driver's side of his hummer while waiting for John.

"Since you booked it and haven't told me where we're going," Randy said turning his head to look at John with a small smile. "Just don't wreck it."

"She's in safe hands honey," John said returning the smile.

As they set off toward their destination, he reached over for Randy's hand and pulled it onto his thigh to rest there. He loved feeling Randy's touch and he knew it would help Randy as well. Whenever he could he let one hand fall from the steering wheel, interlinking his fingers with Randy's.

They made the hour drive to the restaurant in relative silence, and although it wasn't tense, John wished he could raise Randy's spirits. They were talking about the work taking place at JC's and how it looked like it could be finished earlier than planned when they pulled into the car park of the restaurant.

Randy had already worked out where John was taking him when they headed over the sunset skyway bridge linking the small islands to the mainland. John had booked a table at a restaurant they'd been going to for cheers and had become 'their spot' when they wanted a romantic meal.

"You like?" John asked as they made their way into the building.

"I love," Randy said bringing John's hand up to kiss.

"Good."

They were shown to their table where they spent the next hour and half reminiscing over their thirteen years as a couple. John, out of habit, had requested a table near the back for privacy and while they waited for their food to arrive, John's hand reached across the table for Randy's.

"Not that I'm complaining, but you're holding a hands a lot tonight," Randy commented as they exited the restaurant into the cooling air.

"I know it always cheers you up," John said shrugging his shoulders as though it was nothing.

"Holding hands?" Randy asked throwing John an amused and quizzical expression.

"Don't knock it, honey," John said laughing. "It worked."

John went to the passenger side door and held it open for Randy. Before he jumped in though, Randy pulled John in close, wrapping his toned arms around John's waist.

"It did work," he said placing a chaste kiss on John's lips before jumping into the seat.

"Miser," John complained at the short kiss from Randy as he closed the door and made his way round the vehicle. When he got into the driver's seat, Randy tugged on his arm and captured his lips before he even realised what was happening. Randy teased John, trailing his tongue along John's lips, causing the older man to moan. When his lips parted, Randy thrust his tongue against John's, as they mated together.

"Stop complaining," Randy said a little breathless from their kiss.

"Why? It works," John said starting the truck with a smile.

Instead of heading back the way they came, John continued up the boulevard for fifteen minutes and then pulled into the car park of Sunset Beach. He wanted to make the most of their night together and enjoy their alone time. Without saying anything, he released Randy's seatbelt and then his own. Hopping out of the car, John went round to get Randy's door, holding it open for him.

"You're going all out tonight, darling," Randy said softly as he took hold of John's hand as they walked onto the beach.

"Maybe I'm an old-fashioned gentleman when it comes to the love of my life," John said, resting his head against Randy's shoulder.

Randy let go of John's hand and snaked his arm around John's shoulders pulling him against his side as they slowly made their way along the beach. As the water started lapping in, Randy stopped and took his shoes off and John followed suit, allowing the water to run over their feet.

"Did you get anything out of Ally earlier?" Randy asked out of the blue.

"Only what you already know. She's hurt by what you said. I think she wants to makes amends but it's hard to forget last week," John explained.

"I keep trying to talk to her, apologise, but she won't listen to me," Randy said and John could hear the sadness in his voice.

"She'll come around, honey. Just keep trying. She'll forgive you, you just need to give her time," he said squeezing Randy's side. "I'm used to your outbreaks so it doesn't take me long to get over them."

"Don't make me feel worse, Johnny," Randy said, resting his head against John's.

"I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be honest," John said pulling Randy up the beach and laying in the sand so they were facing one another. "I know it was in the heat of the moment, but what you said to her… did you mean it, even the smallest amount?"

"Darling, I would never… she's my daughter… I-"

"Randy, I just want to know, I'm not going to be made, I'm just trying to understand," John said, taking hold of Randy's hand.

"Would it be awful if I said 'yes'?" he admitted sheepishly.

"You would be being honest, which is what I asked for," John replied.

"It's just, ever since she arrived, all we've done in the house is argue," Randy said. "There have been times, I was scared we weren't going to make it; including last week, and I know that was mostly my fault."

"I was the one that forgot," John said.

"Yeah, but I didn't handle it well," Randy admitted. "Johnny, I can't lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said leaning over and kissing Randy gently. "Now what are going to do about Alanna?"

"I guess I'll try talking to her again tomorrow," Randy said. "I knew it wasn't going to be easy, all peaches and cream. She's not four anymore. She has a mind of her own and she's going to express herself. But I didn't think we would be arguing so much."

"I know, honey," John said running his hand up Randy's side. When he felt the shiver run through Randy he chuckled. "Was that me, or are you getting chilly?"

"Maybe a bit of both," Randy said grinning. John smiled in return, but not just at Randy's comment. He took in Randy's smiling face and could have fallen in love all over again. His smile was that of pure happiness, and he didn't let it show all the time. Some people had commented that John changed Randy, but John would never agree. They simply couldn't bring that side of Randy out.

"Want to head home?"

"As long as you're going to be mine when we get there," Randy said winking. He jumped up and held his hands out to John, and John let him pull him up from the sand. They stood kissing for a moment but Randy broke the kiss with a small smile on his face. "Want to do the sappy make love thing tonight?"

"Love making… hot, noisy fucking… love making… hot, noisy fucking," John pretended to muse over the choice. "Can I have both?"

"If you can keep it up," Randy said laughing, yanking on John's hand, leading him back to the car. John stayed a few steps back as they walked, admiring Randy from behind. When he slowed, Randy would tug on his hand and then chuckle as he caught John looking him over. They were half way back along the beach when John stopped suddenly and Randy looked back when he realised. "What is it?"

"I can't do this anymore," John said quietly, walking closer to Randy. "I need to taste those lips."

"If the look in your eyes wasn't one of lust, someone might have thought you were breaking it off," Randy said, circling his arm around John's waist and trailing it up his back. His free hand gripped John's head and moved him closer until he would normally feel John's breath against his face. "Take a breath darling. Because I'm going to kiss the air out of your lungs and I want to do so without killing you."

John took a sudden intake of breath and shook his head of the thoughts floating around in his mind.

"I don't know what it is that you do to me but I swear it has something to do with hypnotism," John commented.

Randy took the opportunity to close the short distance and it gently took John's bottom lip between his and then moved to his top lip. When he heard a slight whimper from John he pressed a little harder against him and continued alternating between his lips. He knew if he kept going, John would catch fire and take control of the kiss. And when John did that, it turned Randy on no end.

There was another whimper from John before Randy finally felt John's hands moving from Randy's waist and run up the side of his body. John captured Randy's face and pressed himself onto Randy parting his lips to get a taste of his tongue. John continued to plunge into Randy's mouth, tasting every inch of the hot cavern as they're tongues brushed against one another.

As John continued his exploration, Randy's hands moved back down John's body. As one trailed down his back he continued lower until he was grabbing his ass eliciting a faint moan from John. His other hand took its time moving down John's chest, flicking his fingers over John's nipples through his dress shirt and then carefully taking in each ripple of muscle as he furthered his descent.

He let his hand linger on John's abs as he enjoyed John's kisses. He knew John was starting to notice the bulge growing in his pants since his kissing was becoming more frantic. If they were at home, John would have forgone the kissing and would be on his knees by now giving Randy a fantastic blowjob. The thought alone was making Randy grown larger and he couldn't keep his hand still any longer. It suddenly shot down the shirt distance and palmed John through his pants. The moan he received from John was mouth-watering and the older man released himself from Randy's lips to suck in air so he could speak.

"Next… time… a little… warning," he panted, resting his forehead on Randy's shoulder.

"Told you I'd get you breathless," Randy whispered into his ear.

John stood upright, stepped back from Randy's still groping hand and carried on back to the car. Randy stood chuckling at his partner's reaction. He recovered the shoes they'd dropped on the sand and jogged the short distance to catch up with John. He handed John his shoes and then snaked his arm around John and tugged him into his side, pressing a quick hard kiss to his lips as they continued walking.

When they made it back to the car park, they reluctantly put their shoes and socks back on and then hopped into the hummer and pulled out, starting to make the hour journey back home.

Without even looking at his watch or the clock on the dashboard, Randy knew it must be near to ten. He'd had a fantastic night so far and he didn't want the night to end. He glanced over to John who was paying attention to the road while tapping his hands on the steering wheel in time with the song playing on the radio. He wasn't sure how he lucked out and found the perfect partner in John, but he wasn't about to start questioning it.

He was lost in his thoughts when John pulled the hummer into a layby, and opened the driver's side door. It was only when John opened the rear passenger door and climbed in Randy realised they'd stopped. Randy looked back at John and smiled quizzically. John reached forward through the gap and released Randy's seat belt before hooking his arms and pulling him from his seat and into the back.

"I want you in me… now," John said as Randy scrambled into the back seat.

"Are you crazy?" Randy chuckled as he settled next to John

"No; I'm just horny. And as much as I love having her live with us, I miss being able to scream the house down."

Randy cocked an eyebrow and pushed John onto his back, kissing him hard. If John wanted him, he was going to get him. It wasn't long before both men were naked and their clothes were strewn about the back seat, the foot well and hanging off the head rests of the front seats. Randy smirked and he felt the corner of his lip turning up as he took in the sight of his lover, already hot and bothered. He winked him, holding him down and started placing light kisses across John's abdomen.

He continued his ruthless attack, licking and kissing John's chest, only stopping to take one of his nipples in his mouth, lightly nipping it, causing a sharp intake of breath from John. Randy moved lower, using his teeth and tongue all over John's body.

"Shit, honey," John moaned. "Mmm, I love how you tease me."

His breathing getting shallower, John pushed Randy back and sat up, straddling Randy's lap as he grabbed for his face. He started kissing him with everything he had, desperate to feel Randy's entirety. His fingers grasped at Randy's face and his nails scraped against his shaved head, causing Randy to moan. Their breathing was already loud and raspy and they only kissed so far.

John realised how much leeway Randy was letting him have over the situation and pondered when he would take back control. Making a pre-emptive strike, John reached between their bodies and grasped Randy's cock in his hand, stroking it smoothly. He slid off Randy's lap so he was knelt in the foot well and he lowered his mouth towards Randy's glistening member. He lightly licked the tip, swirling his mouth around the sensitive skin. He'd wanted to do this since they were on the beach. He looked up at Randy with lustful eyes hoping to turn him on even more but Randy's eyes were closed and his head resting against the back of the seat.

"Oh shit, darling," he moaned praising John for his continued ministrations. He took all of Randy in his mouth, using his hand at the base, stroking up and down as his head bobbed in unison.

Randy opened his eyes and took in the sight of John pleasuring him. He tilted his head as he watched John's perfect lips slid up and down his hard cock. John looked up and met his eyes, and the look of lust would have been enough to make him cum right there if he weren't in more control. With the thought of control, he clutched the back of John's head forcefully and pulled him off of his cock and onto the seat, flinging him onto his back as he moved to kneel between his legs. He tossed John's legs over his broad shoulders and coasting two fingers he probed at John's tight entrance. Since their eyes locked when John was blowing him, they never broke contact, both wanting to see every stirring.

"Oh fuck," John breathed as Randy pumped his fingers into him. "I want you, honey. I want you to fuck me hard… oh god… oh god."

John's hands griped at the seat beneath his body. His breathing shallow, he gasped for air as he Randy's fingers probed deep, already hitting his hot spot.

With John writhing beneath him, Randy knew John was ready for him. He lined his rock hard cock up with John's entrance and pushed his way in to John. The tightness of their joining made both men cry out.

"Fuucckk, darling," he growled. "You feel damn good."

He angled John's hips up and reached out bracing himself with his hands on the door and back seat. He thrust hard into John over and over again causing the older man to get louder with each thrust. The thought of where this was taking place was turning Randy on and he was struggling to keep in control as his thrusting got harder.

"Ohh fuucckk, honey," John groaned. "Ohh fuucckk right there… yeess… fuckk… keep going."

John's encouragement made him go faster and he almost bent John in half when he leant in to capture John's lips in a fierce kiss. Between the tight feel of John's passage coupled with the devastating kiss, Randy could feel the beginning of the end start to build in his body. He released John's lips, instead grabbing the handgrip on the side of the car for balance. He reached between their bodies and started stroking John's neglected member.

Licking his lips he stared down at his muscled lover as hooded eyes gazed back up at him, silently begging for release. Randy continued to pound into John, pulling out to the tip and slamming back in, hitting John's sweet spot on every stroke. He felt John's body start to shake as his orgasm swept over his entire body. Randy was so close to cumming but he wanted to hear John go first.

Randy's hand slid faster and faster over John's cock up keeping rhythm with his thrusts.

"Oh shit… oh fuck… oh god, Randy, honey," he screamed as his cum shot out, landing on his chest.

The sight was perfect and Randy was pushed to his own limit. He grabbed John's hips with a grip and hauled them towards his own, driving himself as hard as ever into John one last time.

"Fuuuuuck!" he yelled almost as loud as John, as he released himself deep inside John, filling him up with his cum. Slowly regaining his composure, he slid out and sat back against the opposite door, letting John's legs fall from his shoulders. Randy couldn't believe it; it had been a while since they'd gone at it that hard.

He quietly chuckled as John held his muscled arm across his face, recapturing his breath. At the sound of his laughter, John's arm lifted and he smiled across at Randy.

"Get what you needed?" Randy asked.

"I'm pretty sure I did, yeah," John said nodding as his dimpled smile spread further across his face. "But I'm now spent; you're driving the rest of the way home."

They got dressed, though neither bothered to fully button their dress shirts, and Randy showed John to the passenger seat before taking his new place on the driver's side. He started up the hummer and they were soon on their way again. As per their rules, whoever was driving had control of the radio and Randy hit the button for his favourite station, getting an amused look from John.

With Randy driving they made it home in no time and he pulled the hummer into the garage. He chuckled when he looked over at John to see his head resting against the passenger window, his eyes drifting shut. Randy was pretty sure his partner didn't even realise they were home. Springing out of the car, Randy made his way round and slowly opened John's door, making sure he didn't rouse him.

Releasing his seat belt, Randy carefully lifted him from the car. Just as he was turning round the door to the house opened and Randy saw Alanna stood there.

"I thought I heard someone," Alanna said, shifting uncomfortably on the spot.

"Sweetheart, can you get the door while I get John upstairs," Randy said quietly, carrying his boyfriend over to the house.

Rather than responding, Alanna nodded her head and moved over to the hummer, taking the keys from Randy on the way passed.

"I need you to get the bedroom door as well," Randy continued.

"You can't seriously be carrying him upstairs, you'll do your back in," she complained.

"You get used to it," Randy replied quietly. "I'm surprised you're still up."

"Couldn't sleep," she said as they got to the top of the stairs.

"Maybe we could talk in a minute," Randy said, starting to struggle with John.

"I'm getting a hot cocoa and going back to bed," she said, opening the door and leaving him to it.

"Ally, please," Randy caught up with her after putting John down on the bed. "We need to sort this out."

"It's getting late, I want to get some sleep," she said heading to her room.

"What about your hot cocoa?" Randy reminded her.

"I changed my mind."

"Ran?" He turned on the spot and saw a sleepy looking John leant against the doorframe of the bedroom. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," he said melancholy. "She still won't talk to me."

"It's late. Try again tomorrow. Maybe you could do something, just the two of you," John suggested before yawning.

Randy started to make a quip about John's age, smiling at the man's tired stance, but he was quickly warned not to unless he wanted to spend the night in the spare room. Remembering his last encounter with the room, he thought against the comment and made his way over to John. He pulled the older man against him and kissed his head as John rested his weary body against Randy.

"How about we do the sappy love making tomorrow," Randy suggested. "I think we're both a little tired tonight."

"If you answer me one question," John said, still resting against Randy.

"What's that?"

"How many shirts did you try on before we left earlier?" he asked, looking over at the bed covered in dress shirts.

"I wanted to find the right one," Randy answered with his best attempt at a look of innocent.

**A/N: Please review...**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Sorry for the lack of updates on this story. Slim to None has been so popular I was focused on that one. Trying to get back into the flow of writing but I've still been bad this week. Hope you all enjoy the chapter.**

Randy pulled the car alongside the sidewalk a couple hundred yards from the school gates. Being sixteen he remembered what it was like having your parents drop you at school and pick you up and he didn't want to start Alanna's school year off on the wrong foot.

Although she had come around enough to start talking to him again, Randy still struggle to get any time with her, especially one on one. He had managed to persuade her to sit down so they could talk things through and although she listened to everything he said, Randy could tell she still wasn't happy with him.

Alanna was at least trying to be civil rather than ignoring him and leaving the room whenever he came in. John was being fantastic throughout the whole ordeal and was trying to play the middle ground and keep their little family unit close. Though Randy had to admit he knew how difficult that could be and he did his best to cause as little strife as possible.

Today though he was marking on his calendar as the day things were going to improve. With Alanna starting school it meant they wouldn't be in each other's pockets and have some proper time apart. For any teenager, they need a break from the parents, it may have be some time since he was a teenager but Randy could remember how it was when he was her age.

And even though he didn't want to admit it, he was becoming a little jealous of John. Since he yelled those angry words at her, her relationship with John had hugely improved and they were spending a lot of time together. They found out they had a lot more in common than they realised and would sit down laughing and joking over TV programmes and movies they'd seen.

Randy was trying not to let his jealousy show but he knew there had been a couple of moments when John rolled his eyes at him. When they were led in bed together Randy clung to John through the night, looking for the security of his lover's arms. John seemed to recognise that Randy didn't need to talk it through at these moments. He just wanted the assurance that he wasn't alone.

He'd give anything to go back in time and take his words back but Randy knew it was impossible.

"Ally before you go in," Randy started as Alanna opened the door to step out. "I was thinking maybe we could do something together, to celebrate you starting high school. Just you and me; I know John wouldn't mind."

"I guess," Alanna said turning back to the door. Randy could see she didn't really want to but he knew at the same time that he couldn't let it keep going or their relationship would be over.

"Why don't you think about what you want to do and let me know," Randy suggested. He hoped she could tell he wasn't going to push it as well as not letting the matter drop.

"Fine, whatever," she said.

"Okay, well if you haven't got too much schoolwork maybe we can do something tonight, when I pick you up," Randy said.

"Dad, can I just get to school please," Alanna said getting annoyed at the persistence of her father.

Randy nodded his head, a little disappointed his suggestion didn't seem to be moving anywhere with them. He watched her until she was into the school grounds and it suddenly struck him. His daughter was in high school. It seemed like only yesterday when he was picking her up from her first day at school in St Louis. He couldn't believe it.

He continued to sit there, stunned that the circumstances had only just occurred to him. He felt the tears well up in his eyes just as his phone rang and interrupted his thoughts.

"Hello… hey darling… I'm just about to start heading back… yeah everything's fine," he said wiping the tears away. "No… honestly, we didn't argue… maybe I annoyed her a little with my persistence… I'm not upset, well not about that at least… Johnny, my little girl's growing up. I just dropped her off for her first day of high school… yeah, I know, it just hit me when I saw her go in… I'm on my way back… I'm not going to be all mopey, just reminiscent… I'll see you in a little bit… I love you, too."

Randy put his phone down and pulled out into the traffic. If he still weren't angry with her, he might have been inclined to the send a message to Sam, sharing the moment with her, but even the thought of her at the moment was pissing him off. He'd let Alanna ring her tonight and talk her through the first day.

Instead, he was going home and spending the day with his partner. John deserved to share in his moment already. He already had in a way. John obviously knew him so well that he rang him, knowing he'd be emotional at that moment.

By the time he pulled into the driveway, he was beaming with pride. His daughter as starting high school and on top of that he had the perfect partner. Life couldn't get much better. He realised on the way home, that even with he and Alanna not getting along at this moment, every family has moments like that, he just had to ride this one out and let Alanna come to him when she was ready.

He entered the house, ready to seek out his partner and share in his revelation. He could hear soft music coming from the back of the house and he made his way through the family room out onto the lower deck. He stayed out of sight as he saw John murmuring to himself as he stood at the counter top of the outdoor kitchen.

Wondering what he was doing Randy snuck around and quietly made his way over to John, sliding his arms around the older man's waist.

"It's a bit early for dessert, darling," Randy whispered in John's ear. He kept his tone soft so he didn't distract John who was still concentrating on the text of the recipe book on the counter.

"I'm determined to do this, it didn't require actual cooking, I thought I'd give it a go," John said as he followed the directions.

"Need any help?" Randy said, reaching around to dip his finger into the ice cream, only to have it slapped away.

"No, now go change," John ordered. "I figure we can spend the day out here, maybe have a dip in the pool afterward."

"Sounds perfect," Randy said, squeezing his arms around John's waist.

"Yeah, well, you haven't had this yet, you might not want to use the word perfect," John muttered as Randy ran up the metal stairs leading to their balcony.

He went into the bedroom and fetched out his swimming shorts and stripped down. He realised he'd yet to kiss John and share his feelings with him, so he quickly changed into his shorts and grabbed a couple of towels from the bathroom for them to use, not sure if John had already thought of it.

He went back downstairs and led back in one of the sun lounger's and watched John's careful preparation, smiling when he heard John muttering to himself, as he finished the desserts. He was still smiling when John turned around presented the finished items. Making sure the humour didn't show on his face he inwardly laughed at how long it had taken John to complete Knickerbocker glory's.

"You know how hard it was to find a recipe which didn't involve cooking," John said setting Randy's dessert on the coffee table by the side of Randy. "I thought, 'ice cream, that can't be difficult'. Everything wanted to turn it into a cake. Cake meant cooking."

"Not that I'm complaining, but why have you done this?" Randy said feeding a spoonful of ice cream to John.

"I figured you'd be all emotional… and hey, I was right," John said repeating Randy's actions.

"I wasn't emotional. The occasion just hit home. I've been so concerned over getting her here and getting her settled in... I didn't take the time to realise, she's growing up; fast."

John smiled as Randy spoke his thoughts. He had already thought about how fast Alanna was growing up, but could see Randy's mind was too engrossed in the here and now and he didn't want to raise it.

"And I realised on the way back," Randy said. "I just have to let Alanna come to me when she's ready. I keep trying to push her to forgive me and have things back to the way they were. I can't do that, she's old enough to have her own mind, especially considering how much I hurt her."

John moved from where he was sitting and tapped Randy's leg indicating for him to move it. Randy adjusted his position so John could sit back against him and the pair lay back feeding one another the quickly melting ice cream. When Randy dropped some on John's shirt, he took John's dessert and told him to get down to his shorts, since he was the one to suggest a day by the pool.

Once John was topless, Randy suggested moving there fun poolside and they went down to the lower area to relax and finish their food. Their sat on the edge pool with their legs in the water, resting back on their elbows. In the end the ice cream melted, since they shared kisses and continued to talk as they ate, and when John complained about the effort he went to make them, Randy simply kissed him, pushing him gently back until he lay down on the ground with Randy hovering over him.

Randy suddenly grinned from ear to ear, reaching for John's glass of melted ice cream.

"What are you doing?" John asked seeing Randy with the glass.

"I don't want to waste it," Randy replied as poured a little onto John's stomach. As it turned out there wasn't much left, so he took his own glass and poured it onto John's chest.

"You better have plans, honey, I'm getting chilly," John complained with a smile.

"Oh I have plans, darling, don't worry" Randy said lowering his head to John's stomach and licking a strip of ice cream from his skin as he ran down his side. "By the way, this tastes fantastic."

"Me or the ice cream?" John asked laughing as Randy continued to lick the dessert from his body.

"Both," Randy said sounding serious as he made John squirm and he spent copious amounts of time on his abs.

"You've always been a sucker for me and ice cream," John said. "I remember-"

"No reminiscing, darling," Randy said cutting him off with a kiss. "Enjoy the here and now."

After Randy finished cleaning John of the dessert he continued his ministrations, heading back south. He jumped down into the pool and moved between John's legs, that same smile playing across his face.

Randy watched goose bumps appear on John's skin from his touch. He smile grew as he thought only his John could get goose bumps in the Florida sun. His fingers glided smoothly up John's inner thighs and then disappeared behind the swim shorts.

He let his fingers gently brush against John's balls causing John to jump from the sensation. He watched as well as he saw John's cock twitch beneath the material of his shorts. His eyes ran the course of John's body and settled when they connected with John's. Randy could tell John wanted him at that moment, but he wanted to have a little more fun before he gave in to John's lust.

Randy reached further up inside John's shorts and his fingers swept along the length of John's hardening cock. He pulled his hand back out from John's shorts and moved quickly to the waistband. He couldn't resist exploring a little further as his fingertips danced over John's abs and over to his hips, his fingers barely touching the skin, letting John squirm at the touch, wanting more than he was receiving.

He quickly grabbed the waistband, ordering John to lift his hips to remove the shorts. His eyes left John as he pushed back from the pool side and took in the sight of his lover hanging loose over the edge of the pool, completely lost in the moment.

Licking his lips, he smiled as he moved back in ready to devour his partner. John's cock already throbbing, waiting just for him, had been his since the first time they were in bed together. It turned him on to know no one else had laid claim to his man. John shivered under his gaze and Randy was in heaven. As he stood between John's legs once again, he couldn't resist just watching his lover, the sight of him was always amazing and he rarely took the time to appreciate it.

"Honey," John quietly pleaded.

Randy smiled softly at John and lowered down to John's body pressing light kisses down his stomach. He licked his lips from his desire building as he held John's shaft in his hand. He leant in and kissed the tip of John's cock, showing his love of John's body.

John gasped at the tender touch, and Randy felt him relax. He wasn't sure how he could relax any further than he already was, but still he felt some tension leave John. He moved John's legs onto his shoulders and then sank down onto John's cock. He moved a hand to rest on John's stomach, keeping him flat against the ground as he felt John begin to buck under him.

Pulling off from John's cock he licked the length causing him to moan. He continued to travel the length of John's cock, avoiding the tip purposefully causing John to get impatient. After so many years with John, he knew how to get the man excited and how to prolong his enjoyment. He couldn't help but smile as he thought back to when they first got together.

After the first time he'd given John a blowjob, which he himself was proud of, considering it was his first time ever, John always found a way out of getting another one. Then one night, after going for it again only to be denied, Randy lost his patience. He questioned John on whether he had enjoyed it or not. John ended up admitting that the sensation was indescribable as well as too much to handle.

Randy found it difficult to believe and thought John was taking the piss out of him. It was their first argument and John took nearly a week to convince Randy he wasn't lying. When they ending up in bed together, Randy went down on John again, trying even harder to impress John. Afterward, John made Randy promise only to do that when they were celebrating.

John's hand on his head broke him from his thoughts and he looked up into John's puzzled eyes.

"Sorry, thinking back to the promise you made me make," Randy said with a wink. "Does this count as celebrating?"

John's eyes rolled back as Randy spoke as he felt Randy's breath hit his cock, causing him to shiver once more.

Randy smiled once more and wrapped his lips around John's cock. He set to work and moved expertly over the tip of John's firm muscle.

Sliding all the way down in one motion Randy swallowed as John's cock hit the back of his throat. He kept his lips tight the entire way and sent John into his own heaven. He pinned John's hips down to the ground still as he tried to thrust up into Randy's mouth. He could hear John's breathing getting shallower and knew that was the only reason John wasn't swearing his head off.

He bobbed faster and harder as he felt John's hand grip his head, he sucked and licked taking every inch of John. He moved his free hand from John's leg and circled his finger around John's tight entrance.

Randy was straining in his own shorts now as well, his desire for John growing. The tip of his cock rubbed against the material which held him and he had to control himself. Not allowing himself to release his member and thrust it up into John's tight heat.

Instead he pressed his finger against John's opening and allowed himself to feel John's tightness around his digit.

"Oh fuucckk," John cried as Randy's pushed in far enough to brush his prostate.

Randy could feel John twitching in his mouth and knew he was about to cum, all he needed to do was one more movement. He jabbed his finger into John's prostate and immediately heard and captured John's orgasm.

"Fuuuccckkk… Rannddyy… fuuuccckkk," he screamed, holding Randy on his cock.

Randy's lips stayed locked around John, swallowing everything he gave him. John's hands left Randy's head in exhaustion, and Randy pulled himself from John's cock, letting his head rest against his lover's hips.

"I know you must be hard," John murmured. "You love doing giving me head."

Randy pulled himself out of the pool and lowered himself onto his lover so he could feel how hard he was.

"I don't get like this because I enjoy giving you head," Randy said. "It's because I love how responsive you are."

John dragged Randy in for a kiss and rolled him onto his back, coming over him. They lay in each other's arms kissing for a while until John decided he wanted to take it further. He moved down to Randy's chest and was just getting into the flow when he heard the phone ringing on the top deck.

"Ignore it," Randy said.

"What if it's important?" John asked looking at him. He hated leaving a phone ringing.

"Fine, but make it quick," Randy told him as John got up from where they lay and ran to answer the phone. "I'm taking a swim. Hurry back."

John through a smile over his shoulder as he answered the phone.

"Cena… oh hey, Greg, everything okay over there… right… no, hang on," he said to the manager of JC's. He leant over the barrier to lower level and told Randy he was taking the call inside so he may be a while.

Randy grumbled a little at losing out on his time with John but lowered himself back into the pool and figured that a swim would help his current situation. After a few lengths of the pool, he thankfully softened and was more comfortable as he set into what he knew was going to be a long, lonely swimming session.

He was up to his fortieth length when he'd had enough and decided he was going back inside. John's call was obviously taking longer than he'd planned and Randy wasn't going to wait around. He had plenty of other things to be getting on with in the meantime. John knew he wasn't the doting puppy type and wouldn't get upset that he didn't wait.

He swam to the pool steps and hauled himself up. As he was finding his footing, his foot slipped out from under him and he flew back off the steps, smashing his head onto the side of the pool. A second later everything was starting to turn black but he couldn't find his voice to call John.

* * *

><p>"Alright, just keep me informed in the meantime… yeah, I'll pop by tomorrow, I need to pick up the paperwork either way," John said. "Thanks for letting me know… bye."<p>

John hung the phone up and put it back on the stand, running his hand over his face. It wasn't what he needed to hear, but staff leaving was an inevitable part of being an employer. He went back out to the veranda, wondering if Randy would still be in the pool or if he had given up and moved inside.

"Ran you still here, honey?" he called moving to the steps to the lower yard. He looked over to the pool his heart started racing two to the dozen when he saw Randy face down in the pool. "Ran, honey."

He raced down to the pool and jumped in, turning Randy onto his back and dragging him over to the side of the pool. He held onto him as he climbed out and then hauled him from the water. Randy's head hung forward lifeless and John held him close as he lowered him to the ground.

"Ran, honey, please be okay," he cried as he checked for his pulse. Thankfully John found a strong pulse. He moved him into the recovery position, making sure he was able to breath. "Hold on honey, please."

John raced back inside the house and grabbed the phone from the kitchen. He dialled 911 and ran back outside to Randy. Kneeling by his side, John answered all the questions posed to him and told them to hurry and to enter from the side of the building so they could get into the backyard.

Within just a couple of minutes, the EMTs arrived.

"Can you tell me what happened, sir?" one of the EMTs asked.

"I was inside on a phone call. I came back out and found him face down in the pool," John said, tears threatening to fall. All sorts of thoughts were going through his head, he was going to have to let Alanna know what had happened; he'd have to ring Randy's parents and let them know. What was he going to tell them?

The EMTs loaded Randy onto the stretcher and John was at his side the entire time holding his hand.

"Is he going to be okay?" John asked as they went out to the ambulance sat in the driveway.

"We need to get him to the hospital, sir," the EMT said loading Randy into the back of the ambulance. John immediately jumped into the back, taking hold of Randy's hand again. The journey to the hospital was quick and in no time Randy was being stretchered into the ER to be taken a look at.

Just as they lifted him from the stretcher onto the hospital bed, Randy started to come around, his eyes searching out a familiar face, when their eyes connected, John's tears finally fell. He lifted Randy's hand to his lips and kissed him over and over.

"Mr Cena, we need to ask you to leave while we see to your friend," the doctor said.

"Boyfriend," John corrected without looking at the doctor. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"Mr Cena, if you want us to help, you're going to have to let us do our job," the doctor said sternly. "There's a relative's room down the hall. Take a seat in there and someone will let you know what's going on when we know more."

"No."

"Johnny," Randy said weakly. "Go, I'll be okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Randy said still very weak from the trauma.

John kissed his hand again and reluctantly backed out of the room. He stood in the corridor, unable to leave Randy by himself. He wanted to be there as soon as Randy asked for him. He was watching the doctor work, checking Randy's vital signs and such. After a few minutes, a nurse came out of the room to speak to him.

"Mr Cena, why don't I show you to the relative's room," the young nurse said.

"I want to be near him," John said the tears still falling though a little slower now.

"You will be, it's just two doors down," the nurse said showing him the way. John moved from where he stood and headed in the same direction, though looking back over at the door to the ER not wishing to take his eyes from Randy. "He's in the best hands; the doctor knows what he's doing."

"I'm sure he does," John said wiping his face free of the tears. "But that's my partner in there, I can't lose him."

"I'll keep you posted, as soon as we know anything then I'll let you know," the nurse said patiently as ever. "In the meantime, have a drink from the machine and try to remain calm."

John nodded and took a seat, tapping his foot impatiently. It had been less than a minute and he was already beginning to worry again. He needed to see Randy, make sure he was okay. He got up from his seat and started pacing the room, hoping it would lessen the stress in his body. It was a stupid idea of course since his mind kept wandering back to the sight of Randy lying face down in the pool.

His mind started asking the questions he didn't want to think about. What if he had stayed on the phone longer? What if he had been out for the day when it happened? He was working himself up so much he didn't hear the door open and the nurse walk back in. He spun around as he reached the wall during his pacing and startled the nurse at the sudden turn.

"I'm sorry," John said. "What's happening?"

"The doctor is sending Mr Orton for a scan, to look for any damage, but he's responding well," the nurse said. "And… he's asking for you."

John didn't even wait for the nurse to lead him back down to the ER, instead he pushed passed her and sprinted down, barging into the room and over to Randy.

"Mr Cena," the doctor said. "Please can you respect that this is a hospital. Not a wrestling ring."

"Not now doc," John said not looking away from Randy. "Are you okay, honey?"

"I'm okay, I think," Randy said with a small smile. "I have a headache."

"I'm not surprised. Honey, what happened?" John asked.

"I was getting out of the pool; my foot went out from under me… I guess I fell back," Randy explained.

"You scared me," John told him squeezing his hand.

"I see that; I'm sorry," Randy said in return.

"Don't apologise, you didn't plan this," John said, kissing Randy's hand again.

John stayed with Randy, never letting his hand go; until the time came he needed to go for his scan. Even then John never left his side, talking to him quietly the entire time, keeping him calm before his scan. He knew Randy hated them and the calmer he was going in the better it would be.

John waited outside while it took place and then was back at Randy's side the entire way back to the ER. They waited for an hour or two until the results came back and the doctor said there was no bleeding or fractures to the skull. Advising him rest and no strenuous activity, the doctor sent him home telling John to check on him regularly if he wishes to sleep.

Once the doctor gave them the okay to leave it was then that they realised Randy didn't have any proper clothes and even John was still in his swimming shorts. John called a taxi and they waited in the reception area of the hospital until it arrived with Randy resting against John.

"Sorry I scared you darling," Randy said as he looked into John's eyes.

"I told you not to apologise," John warned him.

A couple of minutes later and the taxi arrived and the pair climbed in the back receiving a look from the driver. John told him the address and the driver confirmed there would be a charge, seeing that neither man looked to be carrying a wallet.

"I'll pay when we get home," John said sternly. "As you can imagine, we left home unexpectedly. I didn't think to grab my wallet."

"Johnny," Randy said putting his hand on John's forearm to calm him as the driver pulled away from the hospital.

The trip was relatively short, but John knew as soon as they got there they would need to get changed and then be out the door again to pick Alanna up. Randy was clearly not to be left alone and John was going to have to drive them over to the high school.

Once they were home, John led Randy inside and could tell the driver was following him to the house. He settled Randy into the family room and went to get his wallet from the side to pay the driver, making sure not to give him a tip.

Going back to Randy he helped him up from the chair and up to their bedroom so they could both change. He helped Randy from his swim shorts and then fetched some clean clothes from the dresser, helping him into his clothes.

"Usually you help me out of my clothes," Randy muttered, sounding disappointed as John helped him get a shirt on.

"Not today, honey," John said quickly putting his own clothes on. "Today, and for the next couple of days, you aren't doing anything."

"So who's cooking?" Randy asked.

"I'm sure we can survive on takeaway for a couple of days. It'll give you a break anyway," John said carefully kissing Randy. "And I can always fire up the barbeque if need be."

"I love you," Randy said.

"I know I'm the amazing SuperCena," John said winking at Randy as he knelt in front of where he sat on the bed. "Now, lift your foot so I can do my impression of Prince Charming."

* * *

><p>"Why both of you?" Alanna asked getting in the Bentley.<p>

"Want to tell her honey?" John said turning to Randy receiving a scowl n return.

"I had an accident," Randy said turning to Alanna. "I was getting out of the pool, slipped and smashed my head on the side."

"Are you okay?" she asked panicking over her dad. "Did you see a doctor?"

"Johnny called 911, since I was unconscious," Randy explained.

"What? Are you sure you're okay? Are you sure you shouldn't still be in hospital?"

Randy tried to calm her down as John prepared to pull out into the traffic.

"Ally, sweetheart, I'm fine, just a heavy concussion," Randy said calming her down. "The doctor did a scan, there's no real damage. I just shook my brain up a bit."

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Alanna asked.

"Al, I couldn't leave him to pick you up," John said interjecting. "As soon as we're home, he's going to bed."

"No I'm not, I promised to do something with Ally," Randy said.

"Dad, your head is more important than some bonding thing with me," Alanna said. "I'm over it alright. I know you didn't mean it, but I'm teenager and I was sulking. Your health is more important."

"Thank you for that, but I still want to hear how your day went," Randy said trying to get them to allow him to stay up. He was a little tired but he could last a little longer. "If I start to get sleepy then I'll head upstairs to rest."

"My day was fine," Alanna said. "A typical first day at school. I have some reading to do and that's all so far."

"Did you make any friends?" Randy asked.

"I met some people, it takes a little longer than a day to make friends, dad," Alanna said shaking her head.

"Okay, well what are the teachers like? Are they all as horrible as the principal?" Randy asked turning his nose up at the thought of the woman.

"The teachers were fine, typical teachers," Alanna said, wishing her dad would stop with the questions. Right now, she was more concerned over his health. "Do you want me to cook tonight?"

"I was thinking takeaway tonight," John said looking back at her as they stopped at a red light.

"That's fine, but I'll cook the rest of the week; dad you have to take a break."

"I agree," John said looking at Randy with a smirk.

"Shut up and drive," Randy said pointing to the change in lights.

"Like that's anyway to speak to me, I saved your life."

**A/N: Please review...**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: You can tell I'm off work this week... two updates in one day... likely to be an update on rock, paper, scissors as well providing i can get it written before I go to Raw tonight. Doors open in four hours so I'l see what i can do. If not it will go up tomorrow.**

John jumped awake as there was a loud knock on the bedroom door.

"I'm off to catch the bus," Alanna said through the door at John and Randy. John padded across the room and opened the door. He received a slight chuckle from Alanna as she took in his sleepy nature that morning. "Is dad still sleeping?"

"We both were," John said rubbing his face.

"Well, I made breakfast, there's enough for the two of you," she explained as they headed downstairs. "And I put the coffee on; it should be ready in a couple of minutes."

"Ally, cutie… I know I shouldn't say this, but you are far too awake for this time of the morning," he joked as she picked up her bag and coat. As she turned to go Randy was stood in the doorway, looking as groggy as John.

"This may be a lot to ask but can you not have an accident today," Alanna joked, kissing her dad on the cheek before leaving.

Randy didn't even have chance to respond as she ran out the door, shouting her goodbye before closing the door. He groggily made his way over to the island, planning on cooking when he saw two plates of food already waiting for him and John.

"I'm going back to bed," Randy said, turning on his heel and heading to the staircase.

"You only just got up," John said. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, John," he said snapping a little, immediately regretting it. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, sighing a little. "I'm sorry."

"What's the matter?" John asked stepping into Randy's body and wrapping his arms around his waist.

"I feel fine; but no one is letting me live. Everything is done for me. I've been sat on my ass for four days. You won't let me cook, go to the gym, what else am I supposed to do with my time?"

"Relax. Once upon a time, you loved getting injured… it meant you were able to live a normal life," John said squeezing his arms gently still wrapped around Randy.

"John we use to work near enough every day of the year. Of course I enjoyed getting to be at home. But now I'm at home, cooking and going to the gym are my hobbies," Randy complained unlinking John's arms and heading upstairs. He didn't like to take it out on John but he needed to let off some steam and John was there.

He fell into bed and hid under the duvet, no longer interested in finding something to do. He'd probably end up watching the TV all day anyway. He was up there for another five minutes before John joined him back in bed, once again wrapping his arms around Randy's waist, kissing all over his neck.

"I can think of something that you'll like, I'd even call it a hobby, for both of us," John said.

"Really, and what's that?" Randy asked trying not to smile as John's actions.

John didn't reply, he simply reached down and massaged Randy's cock through his pyjama bottoms. Randy wasn't having any of that. As much as he loved John's slow, almost methodical explorations of his body, Randy wanted to take charge in at least one aspect of his life. He stopped John's hand and then rolled over, pushing John onto the mattress, lying atop him.

"I don't recall giving you permission, darling," Randy said pressing down hard on John's hands. He rolled his hips against John, grinding their cocks together until they were both hard. "Now, what am I going to do with you today?"

"Be nice to me," John suggested, knowing it would never happen. Randy reached over to the nightstand and pulled out the bottle of lube. He tugged on his pyjama bottoms, lowering them down to release his cock, kicking the bottoms off the rest of the way.

"Strip," Randy ordered, climbing off of John so he could move.

"Do I at least get some music?" John asked standing up on the bed above Randy. Randy smirked at John and grabbed the remote from John's nightstand and hit the button for the radio.

As the music came on, John started swaying his hips and teased Randy by pulling on his shirt, revealing his abs, before lowering the shirt down again. Randy sat against the headboard unable to stop from stroking his cock. It had been a while since he had made John do this and the sight was perfect.

John eventually took his shirt off and threw it at Randy with a smirk, knowing Randy was enjoying the view. He started moving his hands over his body, making Randy take note of every muscle. He couldn't stop smiling when he saw Randy's hand moving faster as his own hands moved to the waist band of his pyjama bottoms. Before he went any further, he jumped off the bed with a thud and scampered to the dresser where they kept the couple of toys they owned.

"What are you doing?" Randy asked stopping his hand movements, though John heard the hitch in his voice, telling him he was getting closer to a release.

"I'm nowhere near finished, and you're getting closer to yours," John said seriously. "I thought you might like to take a turn wearing it."

He threw the cock ring at Randy as he stood on the bed, ready to resume his striptease, but before he could start again, Randy wrapped himself around John dragging him down to the mattress, pulling his pyjama bottoms down at the same time, finally revealing John's hard cock.

"Just for that, I'm going to pound your-"

"Oh dear god."

Both Randy and John looked up at the voice, a little shocked when they realised they weren't alone, but not as horrified as the man stood in the doorway.

"Why me? Why is it always me?" he said turning around and walking out of the room.

Although they should have been embarrassed at getting caught, John and Randy couldn't help but laugh at the reaction they received.

"Honey, why don't you go and stop Cody from scratching his eyes out while I take a shower," John suggested.

"Okay, but if I find him in this condition it might make things worse," Randy joked pulling John from the bed.

"Then put some clothes on," John said rubbing Randy before heading into the en suite.

"Not helping darling," Randy said pulling out some clothes. He pulled on one of his workout shirts and his sweatpants, hoping they would be more comfortable in his current condition, but when he put them on he knew there was no chance he could cover up his condition. He cursed John for being sexy as he pulled on a pair of jeans, finding them too tight.

Giving up, he led back on the bed, imagining John in the shower and quickly stroked himself off.

"Fuck," he groaned as quiet as possible. Tucking himself back into his now comfortable pants, he went into the en suite to wash up, meeting John as he left the shower.

"How's Cody?" John asked.

"I haven't got down there yet," Randy said sheepishly, holding his hand out for John. "Have a treat."

"Randy," John scolded before smiling and taking hold of Randy's hand, cleaning it off with his tongue.

Randy finished cleaning himself up, leaving John to get changed, but not before grabbing his ass on the way by, and made his way downstairs. He looked around trying to find Cody but he was nowhere to be seen. It was only when he went to pour himself a coffee, realising it was still hot, he looked out on the patio and found Cody sat out on the steps leading to the lower deck.

He poured some coffees, leaving one for John when he got down, and took one out for Cody. As he took a seat next to the man on the steps, he handed it over.

"Calmed down yet?" he asked not looking at the man since he was struggling to keep a straight face.

"Seriously, it's always me. First with the screaming, now this, what's wrong with you two?" Cody ranted, letting it off his chest.

"Okay, look, the screaming… I wasn't expecting John to be that loud; I guess I just hit the right spot," he said laughing. "Next time I promise… I'll make him use a pillow."

"You think this is funny?" Cody asked still pissed off.

"Actually, yes, you're overreacting," Randy said. "Be embarrassed, but don't act like an asshole. Everybody gets caught, and someone has to catch them. You just happened to catch us today."

"I didn't need to see you two naked," Cody snapped.

"How much did you really see?" Randy said, a little frustrated with Cody's attitude. "And may I remind you, you were the one to let yourself into our home and then come up to our bedroom. What you expecting to find?"

"I don't know," Cody said standing up and walking down the steps to get away.

"Honey, can I put this breakfast in the microwave?" John called from the kitchen.

Randy stood from where he was sat, taking Cody's empty cup back into the house with him. He was pretty sure there was something else on Cody's mind, and walking in on him and John wasn't helping. He went back in to see what food Alanna had left for them, wrapping his arms around John in the process.

"It'll be fine," Randy said resting his chin on John's shoulder. "Do you want an egg with it?"

"How long will it take?" John asked.

"A couple of minutes," Randy said stepping away from John and pulling out his frying pan.

"You alright?" John asked.

"I think there's something wrong with Cody," Randy said. "He was getting angry about catching us together."

"Angry?" John asked, confused over Cody's behaviour. "Why's he here anyway? I didn't realise they were in town."

"I didn't get that far," Randy said. "Do you want to see if he's eaten yet? I can do some scrambled eggs for him if he likes."

John went out onto the veranda and saw Cody pacing the lower deck. John thought he saw Cody talking to himself at one stage but dismissed it. He was obviously deep in concentration and he didn't want to disturb him just yet so it went back in to Randy.

"I should just cook some. You know he'll eat it either way, he' a bottomless pit," John said.

The two men went about their usual routine while Cody was outside and once Randy had finished the breakfast, he and John went out to the Veranda to eat. They called Cody, and he sat eating with them, but the usually chipper man was downbeat, barely responding to anything John and Randy said.

Randy and John could both tell there was something wrong when Cody started pushing his food about his plate, not really eating it.

"Okay, what's wrong?" Randy asked, putting his own knife and fork down.

Cody and John both looked at him, and John held in a laugh as he saw the stern serious big brother side of his boyfriend's personality come out.

"Nothing," Cody said with a shrug.

"That's a blatant lie. You're overreacting and now you're not eating," Randy said.

"I just noticed the time. I've got to meet Rob at the gym. See you later, honey," he said giving Randy a look which he hoped told him to go easy on him, before kissing him gently. "Codes, you sticking around?"

"No, I just needed to get away for the day," Cody explained. "I've got a flight early morning; I'm booked into a hotel in Tampa."

"Okay, well if you're gone before I get back, have a safe trip," John said before heading inside.

He hadn't planned on going to the gym today, but thought it might be a good idea, considering Cody's frame of mind. If anyone was in with a chance of getting anything out of him then it would be Randy. He jogged upstairs and changed into his workout gear before heading out to his Mustang.

The half hour trip to Hard Nock's flew by and before he knew it he was pulling into the parking lot of the gym. He noticed a good amount of cars in the lot and he smiled inwardly as he thought about how many people were using the facility. When he went in, his best friend, Rob headed over to greet him.

"Didn't think you were working out this week," Rob said. "How's Randy?"

"He's good, back to his bad self," John joked. "He's chomping at the bit to get back here."

"Let me guess, you won't let him," Rob said sarcastically as they headed to the back office. "Too worried about your boyfriend."

"What's up with your boyfriend's sorry ass?" a voice asked from behind.

John spun around and saw Ted stood there with a towel over his shoulder, obviously in the middle of a tough workout.

"Ted, Cody didn't say you were in town," John said and immediately regretted it when he saw Ted tense up. He was starting to work out something had gone wrong between the two of them, since they were both acting off.

"So what's up with Randy?" Ted asked changing the subject.

"He was knocked unconscious last week, slipped when he was climbing out of the pool," John said, his heart speeding up as he thought about how close he came to losing his partner.

"Tell him to stop being a clumsy oaf," Ted joked.

"Yeah well, I was inside when it happened, he landed in the pool," John said gulping back the tears as he explained. "I almost lost the clumsy oaf."

"Shit, John, I'm sorry. Why didn't you guys call and let us know?" Ted said.

"I was too preoccupied with making sure he was okay… which he is," John said his heart calming down. He dumped his bag in the office and took a seat as Ted came in afterward. John indicated for Ted to close the door and take a seat himself. "What's up with you and Cody?"

"What makes you think-"

"We had an unexpected visit this morning, ruined my fun may I add, he's snapping, not eating. Then when I mention his name to you, you visibly tense up," John lectured. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Ted said clearly trying to downplay what was going on.

"Oh, please, you two spend more time together than Randy and I, and we live together," John said with a chuckle, trying to keep things light. When Ted didn't respond he shook his head. "Ted, come on, I'm one of your best mates, and if you can't talk to me then who are you going to talk to."

"Things are weird at the moment," Ted admitted.

"Weird in what way?" John asked.

"Ever since we started working closely again, things have changed," Ted explained. "It's like the friendship was changing."

John wondered where this was going considering the observations he, Randy, and Alanna had made the last couple of times the two men had visited. They could all see how Ted and Cody would get lost in each other when they were talking, how a hand would linger when they touched. It wasn't a huge leap to think Ted and Cody may have started to notice as well. For two straight men to go through something so life changing was extremely difficult. He and Randy could testify to that.

"We were literally spending 24 hours a day with each other. We travel together, we work together, hell, we both earn enough to book a suite at every hotel we stay at, yet somehow we always share a room still," Ted ranted. "Even when we aren't working we're spending time together, either going to yours or heading to one of our homes."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Ted," John said, keeping it simple.

"I know; I just think we're spending too much time together," Ted admitted. "So I told him that."

John took a deep breath, trying to think of what to say.

"You're an idiot," John said, realising that wasn't what he wanted to say. "I mean, Randy and I, even before we started a relationship, both straight men, were exactly the same. It was only when Randy got together with Sam that we didn't spend our off days together. You need a friend you share everything with. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Cody and I aren't gay, John," Ted snapped. "We aren't you and Randy."

"Didn't say you were," John shrugged. "Randy and I were best mates, still are. We just found there was something we were hiding, from ourselves more than each other. It doesn't mean that you are Cody are going to go the same route."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap," Ted apologised. "I just… sometimes I look at Cody and I'm not looking at him like a friend should."

"It sounds to me like you need to do some soul searching," John said. "Look, Randy and I kissed, long before we got together, but I didn't cut him out of my life while I came to terms with my sexuality."

"I heard it was a couple of months," Ted said.

"Try more than a couple of years," John said. "We kissed when he found he was going to be a father, didn't get together until Al was four."

"How could you continue spending all that time with him? You two were working so close together for years," Ted asked confused.

"Because when you're on the road as much as you are in this business, you need someone you're that close to," John said. "It doesn't mean you're gay. Randy and I just realised we were."

"What was the final clue?" Ted joked.

"For me..?" John asked smiling. "I went out with the some of the guys; they were all checking this girl out. I was checking out her boyfriend."

"And Randy?" Ted asked laughing.

"He tells me I kept popping into his head at inopportune times," John said with a knowing smile.

"How did that make him realise? It just means he was still fighting with it, surely," Ted said confused.

"Apparently the image always helped…" John started to say. "Well you know…"

"Too much information," Ted said turning his nose up.

"You asked," John said as he heard his cell phone ringing. He smiled when he saw it was Randy ringing. "Hey honey, thinking of me again?"

Ted indicated he was going back to his workout and he closed the door as he left as John continued his conversation with Randy, who was telling him about what happened with Cody.

"Doesn't sound like you had much luck," John said. "Well I've had a mini breakthrough… Ted's here at the gym. Pretty much admitted he's been thinking about Cody in a different light… I know, but he told me he told Cody they needed to spend some time apart; it's probably why Cody's not himself. Doesn't know what to do without Ted… okay, well I might as well get a work out in while I'm here… No doubt you'll be thinking about me getting all sweaty and… I'm not getting naked, honey… you can if you like though, we did get interrupted this morning… it might be nice to finish it off… I can't, honey, someone might come in… there is no lock on the door… behave it'll only be another couple of hours… alright, I love you too… bye."

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy... please review**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Long over due I know. I was in the mood for some centon fluff and this story was it for me... next up will be the final chapter of Rock, Paper, Scissors**

"Remind me again," Randy said quietly, raking his fingers through John's short hair. Randy lay on the sofa in the family room while John was perched in front of him on the floor with a couple of scatter cushions behind his back.

"I'll give you a massage every day for a week," John said with a small smile as he leant back into Randy's touch.

"And…"

"That part was a joke," John said tilting his head back to give Randy a stern look.

"It was the best part," Randy commented as his phone buzzed on the coffee table. John reached forward to grab it for him, handing it back over his shoulder.

"I'm not letting you get at my ass at the gym, either of them," John said with a shake of his head. "And before you suggest it, it won't be happening in the new pool either."

"No, no pool," Randy said opening the message. "I've had enough of those for a while. And besides, all six Star Wars movies for one round isn't much to ask."

"It is if it's anywhere but at home," John commented. "Now shush, I'm watching my movie, and we're on number two, so only four more to go."

Randy went back to the message on his phone.

_ALANNA: ANY CHANCE OF HAVING SOME FRIENDS ROUND TONIGHT?_

"Do you mind if Ally has some friends over?" Randy asked quietly again.

"Fine by me," he replied holding a bowl of popcorn up for Randy. "We can watch the rest of these upstairs."

Randy quickly sent a message back to Alanna to let her know it was okay and to check if they wanted food. Within a couple of minutes he had a message letting him know they would as well as asking the two of them to make themselves scarce for the evening.

"Do you think I embarrass Ally?"

"Yes," John said without even thinking about it.

"Cheers, darling knew I loved you for a reason," Randy said leaning over and putting his phone back onto the coffee table. As he moved back to the sofa, John caught him and kissed his briefly on the lips.

"You're her dad; all dads embarrass their kids. My dad embarrassed me, and I'm sure yours did as well; probably more so since he was on TV," John explained. "I didn't mean it as a slight against you. Why suddenly ask?"

"Ally wants us to make ourselves scarce when her friends are here," Randy explained.

"Not to raise issues but… maybe it's more to do with not wanting her friends to know her dad has a boyfriend rather than a wife or girlfriend," John suggested.

"She may not be one hundred per cent happy about it, but she's at least accepted it," Randy said. "It's more to do with the lies Sam told her."

"Ran, honey, don't get wound up," John said. "She'll come to terms with it in her own time. But for tonight, we can watch the movie's upstairs."

"Nothing like being back in the closet," Randy mused, going back to raking his hands through John's hair.

The couple went back to watching the movies, John more so than Randy. Randy was happy just to be spending time with his lover. Uninterrupted and without any drama. It seems as though a day had yet to go by in the last two months where something hadn't happened.

When John got uncomfortable on the floor, Randy pulled him onto the sofa while he went to make them something to eat and drink. When he came back to the family room with the food he also brought one of his recipe books so he could look through and find something to cook for tonight. He was now cooking for seven rather than three so he wanted to make something easy which didn't need a lot of work.

Once he'd found the pasta dish for the main course, unable to resist, he flipped to the desserts section to find something for John as a treat afterward. He loved cooking, and if he could cook something sweet for John, all the better.

"Find something," John asked as Randy put the book down on the floor next to where he sat on the sofa.

"Yep, and it won't take too long," Randy said tapping on John's leg.

John knew what Randy was looking for and moved over, keeping his leg slightly parted so they could curl up together.

"Mmm, I may just fall asleep for a while," Randy mumbled into John's neck as he got comfy.

"Okay, honey," John said kissing the top of his head.

"Don't let me sleep too long though, I need to get started on the food before Alanna gets home," Randy mumbled on.

"Got it, no sleeping passed three," John joked, aware of the time Randy liked to get started on the food for the night.

It wasn't long before John felt Randy's breathing even out and he knew he'd drifted off. He turned the sound down on the movie so it didn't wake him. The sound effects in the Star Wars movies could get a little loud at times and John didn't want it to ruin Randy's slumber.

After an hour or so, John's phone rang and he quickly answered it so the ringing didn't wake the sleeping Randy.

"Hello," he spoke quietly. "No, Randy's asleep… I would but we were led on the sofa when he fell asleep… Mom, what did you want?... Yeah, of course we're still okay to have you here… no Ally has her own room… You'll have to ask Randy about that, the kitchen's his domain… I'm not waking him up so you can ask him a question."

"I'm already awake, darling," Randy said groggily.

"Sorry, honey," John said covering the phone to speak to him.

"Who is it?" he asked running his hands over his face, trying to wake up.

"Mom wants to know if she can cook while she's here," John explained.

"Your mom, yes. Your dad, not so much," Randy said looking up when he heard the laughter on the end of the phone.

"Got that?... Okay, we'll see you in a couple of weeks… bye mom," John said ending the call. "Sorry I woke you."

"Well, I was sleeping, you really should make it up to me," Randy pouted at John.

"You're already getting a massage every day for a week, what more can you want? Wait, pretend I didn't ask that," John said getting up from the sofa and taking their plates over to the dishwater.

"I was going suggest a kiss, but since your mind is working overtime-" Randy said tilting his head to look over at John.

John came back and stood behind where Randy sat on the sofa and bent over and captured his lips. He loved giving Randy upside down kisses, especially when Randy started trying to pull him closer by the shirt.

Realising he hadn't paused the movie; John fumbled round on the sofa trying to find the switch when Randy ripped their lips apart.

"I'm glad I need to start preparing the food, you're more interested in the fucking movie than me," Randy snapped, pushing John away and getting up from the sofa.

He grabbed his recipe book and headed for the kitchen, half thinking about not cooking the dessert for John.

"Over-reactor," John quipped as Randy walked by.

"Star Wars Freak," Randy quipped back with a smile. When he got to the kitchen counter he put the book on his stand and started pulling out the ingredients he'd need for the meal. It was only something quick so he knew he could leave the preparation for a while. In the meantime he pulled out what he would need for John's dessert and set about making it while John was engrossed in his films.

Randy wasn't sure what he was going to do when they finally released the complete box set of all nine films. There was no way he could agree to watch all of them. Maybe he could get John to agree to a weekend away in exchange.

When he put the dessert in the oven to cook, he heard Alanna arrive home with her friends. He noticed John glance at the door when he heard the commotion and reach for the switch so he could stop the movie when the time came.

"Hey," Alanna said as she entered the room with her friends behind her.

Randy looked up from his book briefly and id a double take when he saw what some of Alanna's friends were dressed like. The three girls were wearing skirts so short that it would have made the divas of the attitude era blush, only these were on girls who were sixteen years old; they weren't even of legal age.

To really complete the outfits, the girls were wearing vest tops which covered only what they really needed to. Randy was grateful that Alanna was a girl of her own mind and wouldn't follow suit in what they wore. There was no way he was going to be able to take seeing Alanna in an outfit like that, not to mention if Sam saw her dressed like that.

Then of course, the young man who stood at the back of the group didn't look that brilliant either. Wait, there's a boy, why is she bringing him here? Is that a tattoo on his forearm?

"Dad… DAD…" Alannna called waving her hand in front of his face.

"Hey, sweetie, sorry I was distracted," Randy said trying to drag his eyes away from the young boy who was invading his home.

"Whatever, we're going into the den for a bit," Alanna said walking away. "How long until dinner, we're starved?"

"I'm only just starting it so maybe forty minutes," Randy said. "Are you at least going to introduce your friends."

Alanna sighed in frustration, Randy knew he was probably being the embarrassing dad he didn't want to be, not to mention what Alanna didn't need him to be, but he wanted to know the names of these girls… and the boy.

She pointed to each of the girls, names like Brianna, Chloe, and Ava, don't ask him which ones were which because he was more interested in who the future criminal was called. That name would remain front and centre as long as he was hanging on his daughter.

"…and that's Brad. Everyone that's my dad Randy, and that's John, my dad's friend," she said before trying to shuffle them out of the room.

"How old are you Brad?" Randy said stopping Alanna's desperate exit strategy.

"Randy," John said with a warning tone.

He was glad to have John there as his conscious because if not he wouldn't know when to stop with the inquisition. This Brad would never be able to do anything to sway his opinion and being old enough to have a tattoo and still want to go after a sixteen year old meant he was signing his own death warrant.

"You two are going out later, right?" Alanna asked pointedly before Brad had the chance to answer Randy's question.

"Yeah, Ally, we'll finish the movie upstairs," John said.

"You have an entertainment room upstairs?" one of the girls asked, more to Alanna than John. Randy could see Alanna's eyes cringe slightly at the thought of her friends knowing her father was gay. It would come out eventually, if they didn't already know, but neither he nor John would upset her just for the sake of pride.

"There's a room with a large TV, not so much an entertainment room," John said skirting the issue.

Alanna finally managed to find an end to the conversation and led the group of teenagers through to the den. Once dinner was ready, he and John would disappear outside to eat while Alanna and friends would take over the family room. From there he and John could spend the evening in their 'entertainment' room they called a bedroom. If the kids weren't downstairs he may have tried to distract John from the movies which were left to watch.

When they heard the door click to the den, John turned his head to Randy with a smirk.

"He's a little young for you, honey," John joked.

"More like a little old for my daughter," Randy argued.

"What makes you-"

"Did you see that tattoo on his forearm? You've got to be at least eighteen to have a tattoo done," Randy said pointing the knife he was using toward the door which the teenager was behind.

"Ran, honey, calm down," John said laughing at his overreaction.

"And what about those gi-" Randy stopped what he was saying when he heard the door to the den open.

John turned back to his movie, amused at Randy's fatherly instincts to protect his daughter. He tilted his head to see Alanna coming in and he knew why Randy had stopped mid flow. She was getting some drinks for everyone as Randy was cutting up the chicken for his pasta meal.

"How was school, Ally?" John asked, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Good, we've been given a project to do in history about the local area, which is cool I get to find out more about this place," she explained. "We've been put into groups."

"That why you invited them round?" Randy asked, interested in his daughters school work.

"No, they're my friends and I want to get to know them better," Alanna said walking out of the kitchen in a huff.

"What did I say?" Randy asked chucking the chicken into the frying pan.

"Don't interfere in her social life, she won't appreciate it," John said getting up from the sofa and going to Randy, wrapping his arms around his waist as he cooked.

"Since when would you know? You're not a father," Randy chided.

"May not be, but I'm both a younger and bigger brother, with two interfering parents. When we started dating, all of them wanted to tell me what to do," John said letting Randy's comment slide.

"She's sixteen; she'll do what she likes. And the more you tell her not to, she'll want to do it even more."

Randy prepared the rest of the meal and put it in the pan to steam before turning in John's arms, pulling him into him.

"I hate that you're so wise," Randy complained softly before capturing John's lips.

John let the kiss deepen and they were soon tangling tongues as Randy rested against the kitchen island. Randy loved it when they kissed. When they first started it was all about the urgency, the need to taste one another, to find the nearest bed, wall, any surface for that matter, and devour each other. Now, they loved to take their time, gently exploring each other as they kissed. Randy knew all of John's buttons. Knew which ones to press if he needed him, more importantly, knew which ones to miss when they didn't have the time or privacy. Randy only broke the kiss because the timer sounded and he had to finish the food.

"The tattoo's fake," John said that as he took his seat on the sofa again.

"What makes you say that?"

"It has bits missing from the design," John said smiling.

"I don't like him," Randy commented. "And Ally better not start dressing like those girls."

"What are you going to do if she does? Lock her in her room," John joked.

"Yes."

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Please review :)**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy...**

Randy had to admit, today was turning into one of the best days of his year. It was perfect sunshine as he strolled through the park with his partner. After their usual morning routine, which had changed considerably since Alanna had moved in with them, John had suggested spending the day outside.

As they were about to hop in the car and take a ride over to one of the beaches, Randy suggested walking around the vicinity of their home. There was a park nearby which he and John could sit out in and enjoy and there was even a wooded area they could stroll through if they wanted.

And that was exactly what they had wanted to do about half hour ago. The woodland walk, as it was signposted was full of beautiful scenery and Randy loved the way the filtered through the leaves onto the path. And since it was a weekday there weren't huge amounts of people about, which gave him plenty of chance to be more up close and personal with John.

He was thinking about leaving him off the path so they could have another liaison, but he thought the chances of persuading John to let that happen a second time in the same year was small. Maybe next year he could take John somewhere and convince him.

Instead, Randy was content to walk along simply holding John's hand and kissing him whenever he felt like; which seemed to be quite frequent today. Like at this very moment as he tugged John into his side and spun him into his arms, ducking his head down, latching his lips onto John's neck.

"Mmm, Ran," John said with a smile. "I don't know what's got into you today; but I like it."

"Good, because as long as I have you to myself," Randy said, his lips still marking up John's neck. "I'm going to be attacking you."

"Just remember we're in public," John said pulling away with a smirk.

"I know, I know; I've got to have a certain amount of discretion," he said making sure his arms stayed around locked around John so he couldn't get away. "But right now, we're alone. There's no one here except us."

"You are not getting in my pants out here, Orton. So don't even try it," John said, unlatching Randy's arms from his waist. "If you want it that bad, you can walk me home."

Randy stopped in his tracks and took a look at the time on his watch. They were about ten minutes into the woodland walk, and a further thirty minutes from home. Forty minutes… can they get back home and still have enough time to have their fun before Ally got home. The last thing she needs is to get home and hear them going at it. The only way they were going to have time was to have a quickie and both men preferred to take their time when they were in bed.

"How about a quickie?" Randy said causing John to stop in is tracks and look at Randy with a bemused face.

"Honey, I've said to you we're not ge-"

"No, I mean at home," Randy said explaining his comment. "If we head back now, we get back in time to have about fifteen minutes alone time before Ally gets home."

"Is there any point in trying to fight you," John said shaking his head, though his face was beaming at the same time.

"It's been a little while, and I want you so bad," Randy said pulling John to him.

"Well… we did get interrupted last time," John admitted taking a deep breath, letting Randy's scent infiltrate his senses. "Fine, quickie it is."

Randy clung to John and spun him around so they were facing the way they came. Just the thought of spending some quality time with John was enough to get his body to react and he knew John could feel it as well. He hastened John along the path, if they picked up speed they may get a little more time.

Unable to help himself, Randy attached his lips to John's exposed neck as his hands slipped up and under his shirt, feeling the body he loved so much.

"Okay, honey, you've got to control yourself," John said trying to get away from Randy's travelling hands. "We've got a long walk and you will end up popping the cork before we get there. And that would just be a waste."

"Well, if you help me out now it would give me enough time to get worked up again," Randy said with a devilish grin.

"Keep dreaming… and keep walking," John said smiling back at Randy.

Randy wiped the grin from his face but was still smiling as he caught up with John and wrapped his arm around his lover's shoulders. He knew he was the luckiest man in the world to have his best friend as his lover. His day was definitely perfect.

"Since you won't be nice to me and help me out, you may need to help sober me up," Randy hinted in John's ear. "Because I'm a little drunk on you."

"Tipsy maybe," John joked as he looped his own arm around Randy's waist. "But, to be nice I have the perfect way to sober you."

"What?" Randy said, daring him with his eyes.

"You agreed Ally could have her new boyfriend over for tea," John said.

That little fact was enough to sober any father. He hated the fact that his little girl was grown up enough to have a boyfriend. There was nothing he could do to stop it, and as much as he wanted to, he wouldn't even try to stop her. But just the thought of someone dating his daughter was wrong. And knowing his luck, it was going to be Brad, the most inappropriate boy for her.

John had told him, numerous times, that if Sam hadn't have been attracted to him, the 'inappropriate' man then Alanna wouldn't even be born. Of course, Randy being Randy simply quipped back that he should've worked out he was gay quicker, then he wouldn't have needed to get divorced before they could have been together.

His own personal calm and collected Superman, John, always told him the truth though. Yes, it would have been easier all round if Randy had he had known they were gay, but truth is, Randy couldn't live without his daughter. She was his whole world and if he weren't with Sam then Alanna wouldn't be here.

The only Randy ever corrected him on; both Alanna AND John were his whole world. Ever since meeting John, he couldn't imagine his life without him in it, long before they were a couple.

Randy kissed the side of John's head softly whispering an 'I love you' as the one piece of information had sobered him. It took his mind away from sex and brought it back down to earth. There was plenty of time to enjoy each other when they got home… well maybe not plenty of time, but Randy would still enjoy his lover's body.

Soon enough the forty minutes was down to five and they were back inside the gated community where they lived. Randy was finding it difficult to hide his smile, as John was starting to play at the waistband of his jogging shorts, dipping a finger in to see if there were any boxers. His smile grew even wider as John was unable to find them.

"What are you doing?" Randy whispered, pulling John in front of him so he could press against him.

"Getting you excited."

"You'll be lucky if we make it through the front door. I'd be happy to do it on the front lawn," Randy said.

"I'm not going to be arrested for indecent exposure honey," John said admonishing Randy, though Randy could still see a smile on his face.

Before they knew it they were on their street and Randy still had John pulled tight to him, to let him feel how much he wanted him, but mostly because he wanted him so much, everybody would be able to see the evidence.

As they walked up the drive, John turned to Randy and pulled him into a passionate kiss, one they had both wanted since they were on the woodland walk. Their tongues mated as Randy pushed John back against the door to the house, searching out the door key in his pocket.

Randy fumbled around trying to get the key in the lock, hoping John wouldn't come out with some quip about getting it in. Just as he managed to fit the key in the lock and turned the handle, John surprised him, jumping up and wrapping his legs around his waist. At least he attempted to. Just as he jumped, Randy opened the door and between the surprise and the door opening, both of them lost their balance and toppled into the house, falling on the floor of the foyer.

The pair stayed there for a moment, shocked, amused and embarrassed all in one.

"That wasn't as sexy as I hoped," John said looking sheepishly at Randy.

"Maybe a little warning next time, darling," Randy said lowering his lips to John's as he kicked the door shut.

Randy held John down against the floor, letting the kiss build, desperate to enjoy the taste of his lover's mouth, until he saw the time on his watch.

"We have fifteen minutes," Randy said tearing his lips from John. "Since going upstairs would waste time, can I just screw you right here?"

"You used to be romantic," John said mildly complaining.

"Really? When?"

"I remember one occasion. I'm sure there were candles," John said with a smile letting his fingers wander under Randy's shirt.

"Next… time…" Randy said between kisses, kicking his shoes off before reaching down and pulling John's from his feet.

When he turned back, John pulled him down into a searing kiss as they each started ripping at clothes, trying to tear them off one another. Less than a minute later, both men were naked but Randy was distracted as he seemed to be contemplating something.

"Honey, what?"

"Lube, where's the closest bottle, darling?" Randy asked.

"Screw the lube," John said, pushing Randy onto his back and moving down his body. He gripped his rock hard cock in his hand and pumped him a couple of times before taking him into his mouth.

Randy's eyes rolled back into his head as John expertly worked his cock, making him as moist as he needed him. To save time, Randy quickly moistened his fingers and trailed them down, circling John's entrance, before pushing a finger in. Considering it had been a while since they were able to actually be together, Randy knew John would need a little prep work. When John finished his work, Randy pulled his finger out before rolling John onto his back.

"I wish this didn't need to be as quick, but we're running out of time," Randy said kissing John gently as he lined his cock up with John's entrance.

"I know, honey," John said running his hand over Randy's chest. He took a sudden intake of breath as Randy pushed in, immediately hitting his spot. "Oh god, already honey?"

"I love you," Randy said with a smirk, purposely not answering John's comment.

Randy pulled out slowly and thrust in hard, getting faster with each thrust. Really he wanted to be upstairs in bed, or maybe out on the veranda, John squirming underneath him as he pushed him closer to the edge, having first made him so hot he was begging for it. Alas, they only had a short time and they both just needed the release.

With every stroke, Randy pushed into John's prostate, pushing his orgasm closer. He kept his eyes locked with John's the entire time, wanting to convey just how much he loved him.

"Fuck… honey… oh my god, this is good," John moaned, his eyes rolling back.

"No, darling, keep your eyes on me," Randy instructed, his breath ragged. "I want to see everything you're feeling."

"Honey… I feel ready to explode already," John moaned snaking his arms around Randy's neck.

Randy smiled softly down at John, hooking John's legs around his waist as he pushed deeper inside. This was something they both needed and he made a mental promise to make sure he and John spent more time alone, worshipping each other's bodies.

"Want to cum darling?"

"Fuck… yes… oh god… please," John cried as he reached his edge.

"Take me with you," Randy whispered, his lips brushing John's ears as he spoke.

Randy was definitely in heaven when he felt John's walls contract around him as John's orgasm washed over him, his cum shooting out all over his upper body.

"Fuck," John breathed. "Honey?"

"Right… there… fuuuucccckkk darling… Johnnnnyyy," Randy cried as his load exploded into John tight cavern. "Damn it, I need more time with you."

"I love you too," John smiled as Randy slipped out. "And I'm going to be feeling that later."

"I didn-"

"No. Before you even go there, no," John said laughing a little as Randy helped him up from the floor, grabbing their clothes at the same time. "Trust me; you've gone harder on me… a lot harder in fact. I just meant it's been a while."

"Mmm, you were a little tight," Randy mused as they made their way upstairs to the bathroom.

"Here's me thinking you got bigger," John said as he switched the shower on. "Now put some clothes on and go start dinner. We don't need Ally working out what we've been up to."

Randy grimaced as he realised it wouldn't be long before Ally was bringing her new boyfriend home. In a way he was pleased she was bringing him, at least it meant she wasn't ashamed of her family. Of course, she'd avoided the whole gay topic with her friends but that was only to be expected. Or was it.

Randy and John had come out years back, they were living together here in Florida and even the commentators mentioned it on air. Okay, not directly, but it was still mentioned about them being closer than friends. Hell, magazines had even mentioned them as good role models for kids, showing there was nothing wrong with being gay, yet for some reason, Ally didn't want her friends to know.

He threw on a fresh t-shirt and put on some jeans, leaving his dirty clothes for John to sort out. The laundry was far from his domain. He made his way downstairs and headed straight for the kitchen to start the dinner. Just as he was getting going, he heard the shower stop upstairs and John padding around the bedroom, getting changed. He loved John to bits but how did one man make so much noise getting changed.

A couple of minutes later, John came downstairs, his arms full of their dirty clothes and the towels from his shower. Before disappearing into the laundry room, he stopped and kissed Randy, causing the younger man to smirk.

"What?" John asked puzzled.

"It feels like we're only just getting up," Randy said with a smirk. "Me at the counter cooking and you bringing down the washing."

"Yeah, but it's been a while since we've had a morning session," John said winking, stepping into the laundry room.

"Johnny, can I ask you something," Randy called.

"What, honey?"

Just as he was about to answer, he heard the front door open and two sets of feet enter the house. John came back into the kitchen, letting Randy know he needed his towel before he put on the machine.

"After dinner," Randy said, more interested in why it was taking Alanna so long to come through from the foyer.

"Hey," she called as she entered the kitchen, holding hands with Brad.

"Hey, cutie how was school?" John asked as he took a seat opposite where Randy was working.

"School was school," Alanna replied, with a non-committal shrug.

Randy was a little shocked, though he tried not to show it. Alanna had always been enthusiastic about her schooling, enjoying most of the projects she was working on. He hoped it wasn't down to the fake-tattoo-wearing boyfriend.

"Brad, I hope you like bolognaise," Randy said menacingly eyeing him up.

"Yes sir," Brad said in return obviously trying to stay too polite for Randy's taste.

"We're going into the next room for a while," Alanna said giving her dad a warning stare.

Randy continued cooking the dinner, barely acknowledging John as he talked to him about his plans for the next day. He was listening to everything John was saying, he just couldn't respond how he should be. He could see John smirking at him and Randy apologised for seeming uninterested.

John let him off the hook and went to the fridge to get some juice. Before pouring himself and Randy a glass he went through to the den. Without thinking twice he opened the door and stood stock still at the sight before him. Sat on the couch, legs slightly entwined, were Alanna and Brad; kissing. Time seemed to slow down as John drank in the sight, but he was soon pulled back into real time as Alanna screamed at him.

"What are you doing? Get out of here, John," she yelled.

"I'm sorry, I ju-"

"Go," she yelled at him, her face as red as what John felt his was. No doubt Alanna was as embarrassed as he was.

"Hey, what's-"

Before Randy could get into the room, John stopped him, pulling the door close so he couldn't see what he'd seen. It was embarrassing for he and Ally; Randy would just lose his cool and try and massacre the poor teenage boy.

"It's nothing, come on," John said trying to lead him back to the kitchen.

"John, what happened? We don't need any more trouble in this family, we just sorted things out," Randy said, sounding tired just at the thought of it.

"Okay, okay," John said resuming his task of pouring them a drink. "But if I tell you, you can't overreact."

Randy looked at him sternly and John gulped. He thought he'd seen the last of that look when they retired.

"What?"

"Ally was a little upset because… well…"

"John."

"When I walked in she was…" he said lowering his voice. "She and Brad were… well… kissing."

This was a first for John. So much so, he didn't know how to handle it. Randy wasn't angry. He wasn't throwing things across the room, he wasn't swearing. He wasn't speaking pleasantries while grinding his teeth together… he was calm… eerily calm.

"Randy?"

"John," he said in reply.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am," Randy said calmly. "Ally has a boyfriend; okay, it's not someone I would choose for her, but, I have to respect her decision. It's inevitable they would kiss."

"Who are you and what have you done with Randy?"

"Darling, can you come and stir this for me," Randy said.

"What am I doing?" John asked turning his attention to the food.

"Just stir it," Randy said.

"Where are you going?" John asked as Randy headed out of the kitchen.

"Upstairs."

"Okay," John said wearily.

John was left stirring the bolognaise as he heard Randy go upstairs and into their bedroom. He listened to him go across the room and from what he could tell he was going to his nightstand. He heard footsteps again and then the door out onto their balcony. Okay, so that's what he was doing. Not admitting he needed to have a smoke. As long as breath mints were used afterward then he'd let him. It was better than him hitting something, or someone.

* * *

><p>"What are you two doing tonight?" Alanna asked as she swallowed her last mouthful of food, trying to break the awkward silence that had befallen the table as they ate.<p>

"Raw's on, I was going to sit and watch that," Randy said, turning to John. "Are you joining me?"

"So, John, you're around here a lot, do you live nearby?" Brad asked before John could answer Randy.

"Actually," John said eyeing Alanna who was clearly worried about the topic coming up.

"He lives here," Randy said before anyone could lie. Why should they hide it? They were done with hiding their relationship years ago. It wasn't going to happen any longer. Randy could feel Alanna staring at him in anger but he didn't care. It was down to John and him if they wanted to tell people.

"Surely you can afford your own place, John?"

"I can, and I did, Randy and I went halves on this one," John said, skirting around the issue Randy was willing to deal with head on.

"Why?"

"Brad, why don't we go into the den; you were going to show me that website you were talking about," Alanna said trying to deter her boyfriend.

Randy pushed his chair back from the table, gathering the plates and cutlery so he could take them over and put in the dishwasher. This was crazy, why were they hiding a simple truth from someone, who is obviously not that bright if he hasn't worked it out yet, especially considering their public status. Okay, it wasn't as public as some people but it was enough for most people to know. Hell it was on Wikipedia. Surely the kid read up on him before coming round, trying to make a good impression.

"In a minute babe," Brad said without even turning to look at her.

Randy was going to lose his temper with this kid soon. He didn't like him from the first time he walked in the house; he disliked him even more now, especially after the kid kissed Alanna. The use of the term 'babe' was unacceptable as well.

"It's true isn't it?" Brad said with a huge grin. "Damn, I didn't believe it when I read about it."

"Brad, wasn't that TV programme on which you wanted to watch," Alanna pleaded, anxious to get away from the conversation.

"Damn, Randy Orton and John Cena; gay; shacking up," he laughed obscurely. "You wait until everyone at school hears about this."

Randy slammed the plates down onto the kitchen counter and John thought they were going to break.

"First off, there is no reason to go spreading the information around, we're not trying to hide it; it's public knowledge" Randy said. "Second, my daughter has spoken to you on two separate occasions and you've ignored her. Before I chuck you out this house, I suggest you turn your attention to where it should be."

**Please review :)**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Sorry for the lack of updates this week. Unfortunately I've been busy again and don't seem to have as much time to write.**

**Hopefully you'll enjoy the update.**

"Ally, are you up?" Randy said knocking on her bedroom door. It was unlike her not to be, but he usually heard her milling around before his alarm clock sounded. "I'm making breakfast if you want any."

He heard a slight murmur of acknowledgement and smirked to himself. When Randy looked at his daughter he so often saw traits which reminded him of Sam that he often wondered how much of himself had actually made it into her DNA. Then he reminded himself of her love of wrestling and little moments like this, she couldn't get up every morning.

He met John at the top of the staircase, his arms full of dirty clothes and bed sheets.

"Morning," he said with a smile, giving John a soft kiss before taking some of his load. "Fancy anything specific for breakfast?"

"Something filling," John said walking ahead, Randy could already see his mind racing as he thought of what was needed to be done for the day. "You still okay to come along when I collect mom from the airport?"

"Yeah, of course," Randy said catching up with John at the door to the laundry room. "I can't wait to see her. It's been a while."

John murmured his response and Randy went into the kitchen to start breakfast, trying to decide what to do. If John wanted something filling the best thing to do would be to have a fry up. As he was taking out the bacon from the fridge, John came out of the laundry room and ducked under Randy's arm to stand in front of him, grabbing a bottle of cola from the fridge.

"You could have just asked," Randy said smirking.

"Yeah, I could have, but then I wouldn't be able to do this," John said before turning around and wrapping an arm around Randy's waist, sliding his hand under Randy's shirt to feel the skin beneath.

"Smooth," he said with a smile. "Now what are you going to do?"

"Maybe something along the lines of this," John said leaning up and pushing their lips together. Randy was content for it to become more, and he parted his lips for John to slide his tongue in. The longer the kiss went on, the hungrier John became, kicking the fridge door closed he started backing Randy up toward the counter.

Randy cupped John's face and started leading the kiss, calming his partner down since they didn't have the time to get into anything more. John was still on a high from his impromptu play session upstairs. The pair both happened to wake early and so Randy let John enjoy himself before they got up.

He pushed his tongue slowly against John's, holding his head still for the slow exploration. John's hands ran further up Randy's back as he moaned from the sensation of Randy's kiss.

"You do realise this is a kitchen don't you?"

Randy pulled away from John's lips and lowered his head. Ever since his minor outburst at her boyfriend, Alanna had started to pull away from him again. It seemed like every time they took a step forward something would happen to make them go back to that awkward relationship which existed since she moved to Florida with them.

And he hated it. Hated with everything in him, and he wished, somehow, they could get back to being as close as they once were.

Randy couldn't help but feel a lot of the tension was because of her boyfriend, who he despised. Alanna could do so much better than him. Granted anyone he met would never be any good for his daughter, that was his right as the father, but even John didn't like the guy. Randy knew it, even if John hadn't said anything. He was too busy trying to keep the peace before he took the brunt of Alanna's insecurities again.

"Alanna…"

"I don't want to hear the spiel, dad, I've heard it," she complained grabbing some fruit from the bowl. "I've got to get used to it. My feelings don't count for anything."

"Ally, cut-"

"Don't call me that, John. I'm not five years old anymore," she bit shaking her head. "I'm out. Brad and I are meeting everyone."

"What about breakfast?" Randy called as she headed to the front door.

"I'll get something on the way," she cried back.

"What time are you going to be back? John's mom is coming in today," Randy tried to get her to stop.

"After school."

"What time Alanna?"

His answer came in the form of the front door slamming closed. He was getting sick of her tantrums. He knew it was a lot to grow up with, your dad being gay, but she knew about it from a young age. They didn't flaunt it, and tended to keep the public displays to a minimum.

Randy struggled to know how to handle his daughter when she acted like this. If he tried to sit down and talk to her, she threw it back in his face or shut down and wouldn't respond at all. He didn't like raising his voice with her and the few times he had, she turned back into his little girl from all those years ago. Big, watery, eyes and that just caused him to take her into his arms and apologise. Something Sam always used to tell him off about.

"Ran, honey, are you okay?" John asked, his hand smoothing against Randy's back.

Randy, blinked and came back to his senses when he realised he'd gone into his own thoughts.

"I'm fine," he said plastering a smile on his face. He wasn't really, and he knew John knew that, but he didn't want to rehash the topic every time it reared its head. "Fry up filling enough for you?"

"Anything you make will be perfect," John said brushing a reassuring kiss on Randy's lips.

Randy didn't let him move far away as he prepared breakfast, and when John realised, he took a seat at the island and watched him cook, talking about his plans for his mom. It had been a long time since she'd visited the house and since she was starting to get on a bit, John wanted to make sure she had everything she needed.

He'd tidied out one of the guest bedrooms, making sure it didn't appear as though Cody had claimed it as his own. Neither Randy nor John worried, but if his mom was staying, he didn't want her putting up with Cody's comics lying around. If it weren't further to walk, he'd have put her in the room Ted used, but at least it gave him a chance to clear it up.

They ate their food outside in the sun, John hoping it would cheer Randy up. He didn't like to see him so blue. He would rather he find a way to let it out than bottle it up inside but John didn't want to persist. After washing the dishes and tidying them away, John made a couple of phone calls to his gyms before declaring a week's break from work.

As he went back downstairs, he found Randy in the den and when he was just about to speak, he heard Randy talking on the phone. John hadn't heard the house phone go so he presumed Randy made the call and after listening for a while, John soon established he was talking to his own mom. He just hoped the talk did him some good.

It wasn't long before the pair was on the way into Tampa to collect John's mom. Randy offered to drive so John could talk with his mom on the way home and catch up with each other. But for John, it was Randy he wanted to talk to, get his lover to open up to him. There was no harm in trying to keep the peace, John often took that stance, but Randy had to know he needed to talk about the issue, with John at the very least.

"Why don't you go in and get her, I'll stay in the car," Randy said pulling into the pick-up lane. "Save paying the fees for the car park."

"Yeah, because we can't afford the fees," John said laughing, hoping to get at least a sly grin. But there was nothing, his eyes stared straight ahead, not even blinking at the comment. John frowned at Randy and took hold of his hand, squeezing gently.

"I won't be long," he said before exiting the car.

He jogged into the airport and made his way to the arrivals area and within a matter of minutes, he saw his mom coming through the gate, someone kindly carrying her bag for her. He almost ran over to meet her, bulldozing through a crowd of people, and enveloped her in a hug, careful not to hurt her in his excitement. He realised it had been too long since they'd seen each other. He took her bags from the attendant and thanked the young man for helping her.

Trailing the case behind him, he slowly led her toward the exit.

"Where's Randy? I thought he was coming with you," she said looking around.

"He's in the car, we parked in the pick-up lane so he couldn't leave the car," John explained, a frown creasing his forehead as he spoke.

"What's the matter, John?"

"Things are a bit tense at home. Alanna is coping too well with Randy and me dating," John explained. "It isn't helping that Ally is dating someone Randy doesn't approve of either."

"And it's causing problems with you and Randy?"

"Not exactly," John said. "Randy goes into a flunk when he and Alanna butt heads, and it just so happened, they did exactly that this morning."

"What happened?" his mom asked.

"She caught us kissing in the kitchen," John said with a sheepish smile.

Carol gave him a knowing look, telling him she'd been there. John reckoned she would have been on both sides of the fence as well. Everyone at some stage catches their parents kissing. As a teenager, it isn't a nice experience. But with Alanna, it was rooted deeper than that. John was pretty sure she resented Randy for leaving her in St Louis while he moved to Florida. The fact that Randy moved in with his gay lover didn't help and so as a teenager she fixated on that point.

When they exited the airport, Randy was leant against the car waiting for them and if he wasn't with his mom, John would have whistled at him. Reluctantly, John simply let the breath be taken from his lungs. Randy in a bad mood, meant his posture changed and it reminded him of what he looked like when he portrayed a heel before they retired.

As they got closer, Randy, thankfully, smiled and kissed Carol on the side of the cheek, opening the door of the car for her. Once she was settled he went back to the trunk of the car as John loaded the suitcase.

"You looked serious when you were coming over, everything alright?" Randy said concern obvious in his eyes, if not his tone.

"All's fine, you're just a little hot looking today," John said beaming at Randy, his fingers playing at the hem of Randy's shirt.

John spotted the hint of a smile begin but it disappeared before it took hold and Randy brushed his hand away, telling him to get in the car. They both got in and Randy drove them home as John and Carol caught up on his brothers and their families. John and Carol tried to get Randy into the conversation but he barely responded and when he did it was only short answers.

When they reached the house, Randy took Carol through to the family room and he made them a drink while John went upstairs to unpack her case. Randy smiled inwardly, remembering John's plans; he wasn't going to let his mom do a thing and had roped Randy into treating her to anything she could want. Randy knew that in a couple of days, Carol's stubborn ways would demand to do something to help. She hated sitting around doing nothing.

"Randy, you've been quiet since I got here," Carol said gaining his attention. "What's wrong?"

"You mean John didn't tell you," Randy mused with a smile. He knew his lover too well to know he'd told his mom about this morning's incident.

"He gave me the run down, Alanna caught you kissing, overreacted. Caused you to go into this auto responsive behaviour," she said giving him a mother's stern look.

Randy didn't respond to her comment. He didn't want to burden anyone with his problems. He was already going to make it up to John later, knowing his downbeat mood was upsetting his partner.

"It's nothing, Ally and I haven't been seeing eye-to-eye since she moved in with us," Randy said shrugging, trying to blow off the situation.

"Because of your relationship with John," Carol prompted. Randy gave her a small smile, knowing he wasn't going to get away with not talking. Taking a deep breath he regaled her with everything which happened when she first moved.

"… and he's a bad influence. Her attitude toward school has changed since she started hanging out with him," he explained. "She loved school. She hates even talking about it now. I don't like him or these friends of hers."

"Randy, let me tell you something," Carol said with a stern tone. "When I first met you. I didn't like you. You had a destructive nature about you."

"I love you too, ma."

"Shut up. You may have turned on the charm, but I knew what you were like. I hated that John was friends with you. I didn't want him being dragged into any of that business with the drugs," she said pointing her finger at him. "But I kept my mouth shut. Unlike his father."

"I remember, thankfully I changed his mind," Randy said.

"Eventually," she said with a grimace. "I knew I couldn't tell John who his friends should be. I could only help him through anything that did happen. Which, may I remind you, it did. When your daughter was born you seemed to turn a corner."

"Ma, just cause we're disagreeing doesn-"

"I didn't say for one second you were going to go back on the drugs, so don't interrupt me," she warned. "Now when John came home and told me about you. After I picked myself up from the shock of finding out he was gay, I still didn't say anything. I didn't like him dating you, the bad boy, any more than you like Alanna dating this Brad."

"What's your point? Other than you don't like me," Randy said feeling put off that Carol thought like that about him. He always felt they got along.

"You have to trust your daughter like I trusted John," Carol said sympathetically. "If I'd have said something, John and I would have fallen out and it would have come between the two of you as well. Turns out, the parent isn't always right. Kids don't always talk to their parents, Randy. I knew what I knew about you because of the internet. The first time I spent time with you and John I could tell you were different. I could also plainly see how much you cared for John."

"I love him," Randy said with a smile. "I love him more as every day passes."

"Good," Carol said taking his hand.

"So, I have to trust that Alanna will make the right choice and knows what she's doing?"

"Yes. I'm not saying it's going to be an easy ride mind you, she's a teenager after all," Carol laughed.

Randy hugged Carol, grateful for the advice.

"You like me now though, right?" Randy said pulling back from the hub, concerned that he would have to convince her by the end of the week he wasn't a negative influence on John.

"Dear lord, why do I even bother?" she said rolling her eyes.

As the day went on, Randy made everyone something to eat for dinner and they all spent time together as Carol relaxed into her surroundings. Florida was a far cry different from Massachusetts, the weather especially. They moved outside as it cooled slightly and John continued to pester over her, making sure she had everything she wanted, checking if he could get her anything from the shop.

Eventually, Randy pulled him down into the patio sofa next to him, his pampering getting more on his nerves than Carol's. Carol sent him a thankful gaze, not wishing to tell her son he needed to relax. She may be getting on in age but she was still able to do things for herself.

Evening approached and as Randy was making the dinner, he continuously checked his watch. Alanna was more than an hour late and he was worried. John and Carol could see the tension building up in him and told him to ring her on her cell phone. As he attempted to ring her, he heard the front door open, followed by a gaggle of laughter.

When she walked into the kitchen, her jaw almost hit the floor as his temper hit the roof. Alanna was dressed entirely differently to how she left that morning. Her jeans were gone and replaced by a short skirt which he should be grateful wasn't as short as the other girls were wearing. She'd also replaced her trainers with high heels and the t-shirt she'd been wearing with a cropped polo neck top.

"Have you had your lip pierced?" Randy asked, trying to keep calm at the sight of his daughter.

"Yeah, you like?" Alanna asked smiling.

"What I'd like is for you to tell me how you paid for it, and those clothes for that matter," Randy said.

"I borrowed your credit card," Alanna said with a shrug.

"Excuse me," Randy said, disbelieving at what his daughter said. "Borrowing insinuates you asked. You didn't."

"I needed clothes, it's no biggie," Alanna said. "Hey, Mrs Cena."

Randy turned to notice that John and Carol had come in from outside and he didn't want to have an argument in front of everyone.

"Girls, I think you should leave, Alanna and I need to have a chat," Randy said, rubbing his eyes.

"Whatever," Alanna said. "If the girls are going so am I."

"Alanna, you aren't going anywhere," Randy called after her, still trying to remain in control, but it was too late, she was already walking away from him. "ALANNA."

"Dad, chill. I'm going out with the girls. I'll be back later," she said leaving the house as though nothing was wrong.

Randy couldn't move for disbelief. He desperately wanted to go after Alanna and get her to come back in the house. He wanted to sit down with her and get her to tell him exactly what her problem was because he didn't believe for one second it was solely down to his sexuality or how he didn't like Brad. Maybe it was a combination of both those things, added to it her mother's lies about he and John.

He heard John moving across the kitchen to comfort him but he didn't want sympathy or a shoulder to cry on. He just needed to know how to sort things out with his daughter. When he felt John's hand on his shoulder, he stepped away, shaking his head and walked to the stairs.

"I need some time alone," Randy said quietly, knowing John would hear him. "Can you sort out dinner?"

"Yeah, of course, honey," John said, just as quietly as Randy.

The older man wanted to run to him, hold him in his arms and let him release all of his emotions, but Randy wasn't like that. He held it in, letting it eat away at him until he couldn't take anymore. John was concerned about what would happen when he did hit his tolerance level.

He went back in to the kitchen and tried to work out what was left to do on the dinner. Of course it would help if he knew what Randy had been cooking. He opened the oven and saw something in there. Just as he was pulling the dish out to take a look, he felt a strong pair of arms circle round and engulf him.

"I'm sorry, darling," he murmured in John's ear, placing a kiss on John's neck. "I shouldn't have walked away like that."

"You need time, it's understandable," John said leaning back into Randy's hold.

"You're my partner, I should be talking to you about it," Randy said, kissing him again, nipping lightly on his skin.

"And you would have, when you were ready to," John said turning into Randy's arms, reminiscent of how he did first thing. "Now, how do I finish this dinner?"

Randy chuckled at the question and rested his head on John's shoulder, squeezing him tight. He hated how things with Alanna would affect John and him. Randy loved him with all his heart and the last thing he wanted was for things to come between them. It wasn't because of Alanna; he would never say that; it was his own fault for always bottling up his emotions.

"I'm going to make this up to you, I promise," Randy said with a sly smile.

"Answer the question," John said pulling Randy's hands away from him as they skimmed down his body.

Randy laughed again and closed the door to the oven, before leading John back to the counter and pinning him against it, an evil look in his eyes.

"You leave it to cook and take it out when the timer goes," Randy mused, claiming John's lips.

He took it slow, indulging John in his romantic side, capturing one lip and then the other before pushing his tongue in, teasing John with his actions. John eventually had enough of the playful kisses and pulled Randy closer to him and Randy treated him to the kind of kiss John loved more than anything.

Their tongues tangled as Randy held John's head still, exploring his lover even though he knew every inch of his body better than he knew his own. John came to his senses and pushed Randy away, whimpering slightly at his own actions.

"My mom is right out there," John said and Randy felt the weight of John's guilty conscience. He kissed John lightly once more, whispering promises of being alone when they go to bed, and then the pair went back to what they'd been doing before Alanna's arrival.

John laid the table and helped Randy dish up when the food was ready, plating up a meal for Alanna as well, in case she was hungry when she got home. The three of them passed small talk as they ate and then Carol started telling them stories of John's nieces and nephews in Massachusetts.

Randy suggested inviting them down at some stage so John could spend time with them all as well as heading up to the Boston area during one of the school holidays. Since John's dad died, he didn't go up as much as he should do and Randy wanted to encourage it. He had a lot of memories up there and he shouldn't forget them.

They cleared away as Carol settled in front of the television watching one of her favourite programmes and then joined her once the kitchen was tidy. Randy went back to continuously watching the time; anxious at how much longer Alanna was going to stay out.

A couple of hours passed and Carol excused herself to bed, leaving John and Randy downstairs, at least once John was sure his mom didn't need anything else. Randy quickly sent Alanna a text, telling her politely that she needed to come home. He wanted to try and fix things with her and figured a polite request was better than anything at this stage.

When she did get home, Randy was straight up and taking her into the den where they could have a word in private.

"Ally, I need to know what's going on with you," he said sitting across from her. "I thought we'd moved on from the disagreements."

"No, you moved on," she snapped. "I played nice when you were hurt but I'm not okay with anything. I don't believe what you said about mom lying; and when I told Brad about it-"

"Come on, Ally, he doesn't have a clue about what happened," Randy interrupting her, getting annoyed at her lack of belief in him.

"Right, because you don't like him," Alanna said. "I could tell right away, you don't like him, and you don't like my friends."

"Because they're a bad influence," Randy cried. "The girl I know would never have taken my credit card without asking. I get that you're not comfortable with my relationship but I can't change who I love. I tried, when I was with your mom."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alanna bellowed. "Mom didn't try to chang-"

"I'm not saying she did, stop jumping to conclusions. I meant, I was trying to tell myself I was straight, when deep down I knew I was gay," he tried to explain.

"This isn't about you and John, or you cheating on mom for that matter," Alanna said getting up from where she sat. She walked to the door and opened it to go through before stopping. "You're both as bad as one another."

Randy wasn't sure he heard her correctly at first and when he tried to stop her, for the third time that day she walked away, ignoring him. He fell back into the seat, rubbing his eyes both from exhaustion and the fear that tears would start to fall. He heard familiar footsteps shuffling into the room and kneeling beside him.

"Honey?"

"Darling, I'm so tired from this," Randy murmured, still hiding his eyes from John.

"Come on, scoot over," John said, tapping the side of Randy's legs.

Randy did as instructed and John slipped in next to him, wrapping his arms tightly around his body. Randy curled into John, finding comfort in his presence. How could he ever not have this man in his life?

They didn't talk, didn't need to in fact, John simply held Randy, trailing his fingers along his muscular arms. Randy needed to lose himself for a moment and John always allowed him to do so. If it helped him distress, John would do anything for Randy.

"Johnny, darling," Randy spoke after an age of peaceful silence.

"Yeah, honey."

"Did you think of me as the bad boy type?"

"I was still thinking that when I saw you resting against the car at the airport," John admitted, reminding Randy of their interaction earlier in the day.

"That's just because of the way I appeared," Randy said. "What about as a person?"

"You've never been the bad boy," John said with a serious tone. "Through everything, the drugs, the bad attitude, it was never who you were. Just the way you reacted to everything going on with your career. Why are you asking?"

"I was talking with your mom about Ally earlier, she made a comment about you being friends with a bad boy, and how she reacted when you told her we were dating," Randy explained.

"She didn't react badly, she supported our decision, at least after the initial shock," John said confused.

"She said she never mentioned it because she didn't want to cause problems, said she trusted you to make the right decision," Randy mentioned starting to feel sleepy, cuddling into John even more.

"Woah, woah, wake up honey," John said making Randy sit up. "She thought I'd eventually leave you?"

"No, she said that she trusted you knew what you were doing and if you chose to be with me that I couldn't be all bad. Then she spent time with both of us, I worked my inevitable charm, and she realised I loved you. Well her words were cared for, but same difference," Randy said.

"Okay, I'm not going to hash this out tonight, but when you've had coffee tomorrow morning, care to explain this again," John requested.

"I promise, darling, now can we go to bed, I'm tired," Randy said standing and pulling John up.

John smiled and took the lead, pulling Randy along behind him.

"So, do you still think of me as a bad boy?" Randy asked, causing John to stop half way up the stairs and turn around.

"Stop saying bad boy," John chastised, pulling Randy closer before whispering. "It's turning me on."

"Answer the question," Randy said stepping closer until there wasn't an inch of skin between them.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Please review :)**


	20. Chapter 20

**Okay, so I'm getting slow with the updates, I know. I moved jobs a couple of months ago and I don't have as much free time. I especially don't have as much time at lunch which is when I do a lot of my writing.**

**Please bear with me and the updates will be coming more frequently again. Especially at the end of April. I have a week off to see the boys. Get to go see John on his birthday in Nottingham.**

**In the meantime, enjoy the latest update to Life is Good :)**

Randy crumpled the piece of paper in his hand. He was sick and tired of the disappearing act. Every day, every damn day, she was leaving before they were up, skipping breakfast and heading to meet her friends and that boyfriend of hers, Brad.

He was glad she had friends, he didn't want her to be a loner, and he just wished they weren't such a distraction to her school work. The group of girls were having a detrimental effect on his daughter, and Alanna couldn't see it. As far as she was concerned, the girls were her best friends. She'd apparently already forgotten her friends from St Louis. He'd taken messages from some of her old friends on numerous occasions over the last weeks and a half, and she didn't seem to be returning the calls.

He sat out on the veranda, sipping a coffee, trying to think of a way to make things better. Maybe during the next school break he could take her back to St Louis. Let her spend some time with her friends. It would be good for him to get back and visit his family as well. It had been an age since he'd seen Nathan, and Becky was always hyping on at him about visiting.

"Honey, have you seen my joggers?" John asked coming up behind him, wrapping his arms around Randy.

Randy leant back against John's firm body and smirked when he didn't feel any clothes behind his head. He reached his hand back and trailed his fingers along John's leg, his smile growing when he didn't feel anything blocking his touch until he reached his butt.

"Laundry's your department, darling," Randy said, latching hold of John's hand and pulling him around. "Now let me get a better view."

John took a seat on Randy's lap, kissed him briefly on the lips before pinching his cup of coffee and drinking it down. All the while, Randy's hand travelled further up John's thighs, cupping his package through the boxers.

"Honey, stop," John protested half-heartedly.

"Doesn't sound like you want me to," Randy said, slipping his fingers under the material.

"Alanna might-"

"She's already gone for the day," Randy complained, stopping his touch and lifting John from his lap. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"I thought we were going to go out and get something," John reminded him.

"That's when I thought Alanna was coming with us," Randy said. "I don't feel like eating some greasy diner food when I can cook something healthy here."

John regretted mentioning Alanna. Every day at the moment, their days were starting with an argument or Alanna going before they were even awake. John was trying everything he could to help Randy sort things out with her but it was no good. Alanna didn't want to be helped. She didn't see just how bad things were being affected, and as a teenager, the more you tried to reason with her, the less she was going to respond.

Today was going to be another of those days. He was going to do his upmost, again, to pull Randy from his mood. Hell, if he hadn't mentioned Alanna, Randy was going to do that all by himself. Stupid idiot, John. Shaking his head, he walked back into the house and over to the kitchen. When Randy's head was in the cupboards, John grabbed the towel and whipped Randy's butt on the way passed.

He ducked into the laundry room and searched through the clothes he'd yet to put away, digging through to find his jogging bottoms. When he went back out, Randy was still searching through the cupboards, looking for something to cook. He went over and grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Talk. While I change," John said pushing him down onto the bed.

"About?"

"Don't act stupid, you know what," John said putting his joggers into his gym bag.

"Things are getting worse. I barely see her anymore. When she asked to move here, my heart soared. My little girl wanted to come and live with me. I've missed out on so much over the years. And I know that's my own fault; I wasn't there for her as much as I would have liked. But I dropped everything for her whenever she had a problem. I still do now," Randy said finally letting it off his chest.

John continued getting his gym gear ready. As soon as that was done, he pulled Randy from the bed and led him into the bathroom where he started washing.

"I wish I could get my hands on Sam. I can't believe she's fed Alanna all of these lies. It's not like I meant to hurt her, but when it came down to it, I couldn't deny my feelings any longer. There was something between us Johnny, something so strong I couldn't spend a day without you. When I was forced to, I made an excuse to call you, text you. I hated it when you didn't reply. That being said, it always put a smile on my face when I did finally hear back from you."

"Glad I could be of service," John said kissing him quickly, foaming Randy's face for him to shave. "Little too much stubble, honey."

"Yes, darling," Randy sassed. "I understand she was hurt. But what she's done is wrong."

"Did you ever sit down and talk things through? Tell how things changed. Explain to Sam that we didn't have an affair."

"Of course I did," Randy chastised. "I didn't go into detail, but I told her that we'd been fighting these feelings for a long time, that we'd both tried to deny it, but we just couldn't anymore. I even told her nothing happened between us except those two kisses."

"Can I ask you something?" John asked as Randy focused on shaving. "Why did you move here?"

"Because I love you," Randy said dumbfounded. Why was John questioning that?

"I know that, honey. I was more than willing to move to St Louis with you," John reminded him. "I told you. It was easier for me to move to St Louis. I didn't have anything but a gym down here. You have your family in St Louis."

Randy splashed his face with water removing the last of the foam, just as John came up behind him and turned him around, his bottle of aftershave in his hand. Pouring some into his hands John rubbed the liquid onto Randy's face and neck, keeping eye contact with him the entire time.

"Why?" John asked quietly.

"Because," Randy said shrugging. "Because I didn't want you to give up everything you'd done here. You were successful, you had a fantastic home, and you love Tampa. I couldn't make you move."

"But you were willing to move away from your family?"

"It was for the best. Let's face it, dad's reaction was brilliant. It would have been rubbing it in Sam's face. It was better all round for me to move to you."

"Okay, that's fine, but you should have told me about this," John said, leading him back into the bedroom and over to the bed again as he changed. "I would have fought you tooth and nail."

"Johnny, I may have had concerns, but I love it here with you. Okay, we're not actually in Tampa now, but we have a home we can call our own, that we both love. And regardless of the issues we're having, I'm pretty sure Alanna likes where we live," Randy said.

"Pretty sure?" John asked with a smirk. "Honey, I can't help but wonder if some of Alanna's issues are because you moved away. She was only five. We may have spoken to her about it, but how much could she have understood."

"Maybe," Randy sighed. "I'll try and talk to her later. If she'll stick around long enough."

"It's going to be okay," John said walking up to stand between Randy's legs, kissing him quickly. "Now get changed we're going to the gym."

"Not me," Randy said standing up and moving toward the door. "Rummaging through those cupboards told me I need to stock up. We have no food in this house. I haven't done a proper shop in over a week."

John let Randy get on with things, knowing once his boyfriend set his mind to something, he'd follow it through no matter what. Even with something as mundane as the grocery shopping. John so often told him just to order online and have it delivered, but Randy liked to make sure he got fresh food and not something which only had a short lifespan left.

As he drove the car along the interstate, John chuckled at how domesticated his Viper had become. Not that he could talk. Each day John was going around making sure the house was clean and tidy. Man, if the locker room guys could see them now. Of course, he was sure Cody was spreading the word.

One thing he was confident Cody wasn't mentioning was the occasions he had caught them in the act. Whether verbally or physically. Randy and he hadn't flaunted their relationship when they were still working. Regardless of how times had changed, there were still a number of people in the business who weren't comfortable with gay men being wrestlers. Maybe it was the thought of getting too close to them in the ring.

If they went back now, something the Levesque's were trying to make happen, they would have no problem being themselves. They were long passed needing to make themselves scarce when they wanted to be affectionate. Now if John wanted to kiss Randy, he'd walk right up to him and kiss him, may even grab his butt as well. Slip him the tongue as they kissed; maybe even slide a hand under his top. Not that Randy was wearing one in his mind. Right now, in John's mind, Randy was wearing nothing but his wrestling trunks, covered in baby oil. The number of times they'd enjoyed themselves with that as Randy prepared for the evening's events.

John licked his lips, remembering the time he had Randy grabbing hold of the locker trying to hold himself up as John got a little carried away when he was helping to apply the oil. Working on his legs, he couldn't resist himself, it was right there in front of his face as he sat on the bench. How could he not. He never did tell Randy when he realised he'd left the door unlocked. It was a good job no one had come in.

John reached down and adjusted his pants; he really shouldn't have started down this train of thought. Somehow he now had to find a way to get rid of this wood before he went into the gym. Pulling out his cell phone he fired off a text message to Randy, asking him for help, hoping to have a sexy phone call with his boyfriend.

Within just a minute, Randy had replied. Though it wasn't what John was hoping for, it fixed his problem. Randy's not so sweet words of 'Shove some of these down your pants' with a picture of a freezer full of frozen peas. Okay, Randy was obviously at the store. Not the best time to instigate a frenzy of sex messages.

His problem solved, John grabbed his bag from the passenger seat and jumped out the car. As he made his way to the door of the gym, he looked around. It seemed quieter than usual. Maybe it was just because it was a week day and everyone was still as work. He started getting more concerned when he spotted the bulldozers in one of the neighbouring plots.

"Rob, hey man," he said as he entered the gym. There were a few people in there, but not as many as he usually expected.

"No Randy today?"

"He's playing house-boyfriend and doing the grocery shopping. I'm blessed. What's with the bulldozers?"

"Yeah, right, I was going to have a word with you about that," Rob said avoiding eye contact. "You better come through."

John followed Rob through to the office. He could already tell he wasn't going to like this.

* * *

><p>Randy jumped as he heard the front door slam and heavy footsteps storm up the stairs. Heading through from the den, he saw John's gym bag on just inside the door.<p>

"Darling, where are you?"

"Office," came a gruff reply.

You didn't need to be a detective to work out John was in a bad mood. Before trying to approach, Randy decided to sort out his gym gear and make his a snack. He'd need to replenish after a workout.

When he opened the bag, he was confused to see John's gym gear still in there as though it hadn't been worn. When John had text him, he had just arrived at the gym. What could have happened between then and the time it would take to make it into the building to put him in this mood. Something he didn't see happen very often.

When he heard the door to the office slam shut, he knew better than to go up there and challenge him. John needed to cool off, and that was his way of letting Randy know. It saved arguments between them and Randy simply listened out for one of two things to happen. If the door opened, it was safe to approach and John would tell him what was wrong. If he heard something going flying across the room, he needed to get up there before John did any serious damage.

The initial anger rarely lasted longer than twenty minutes, so Randy decided to make that snack for him. He was peckish himself and figured they could talk it out as they ate. Usually he would make John a healthy meal after being to the gym, but since he didn't work out, Randy didn't see the point. Today, he was going to make John something as a treat, a nice BLT sandwich.

It only took fifteen minutes to make the sandwiches, and just as he plated them up with a handful of chips and a bottle of water each, Randy heard a loud crash upstairs. Forgetting the sandwiches, he raced up to the office and opened the door just as John was about to throw his fist into the wall.

Randy caught the shot in his hand, grabbing hold of his lover.

"What the fuck is wrong?"

"Rob is what's wrong," John snapped turning away from Randy. "He didn't tell me because my mom was here. Said he didn't want to worry me. THEN. Then he just forgot."

"Darling, forgot what?" Randy said daring to step further into the room.

"Don't worry about it," John said, suddenly sounding defeated. "There's not much I can do about it at this stage."

"Johnny, darling, tell me what's going on," Randy insisted, turning John around to look at him. "Please."

"Fine. You needn't worry about having that talk with Ally," John said turning his head away from Randy's inquisitive stare. "There won't be a gym for much longer. They're developing the land. Putting a hotel and spa in. The hotel chain is buying out all the local businesses. Hard Nocks is the only place left."

"Darling, we can deal with this," Randy said pulling John into him. "First things first, speak to your lawyer. See where you stand. If you refuse to sell you're within your rights."

"Maybe. But they'll just try and muscle me out," John said shaking his head and leaving the room. He headed to the bedroom since it was the first room he came to. He had no idea what to do with himself.

He felt Randy come in behind him; he was keeping his distance, not wanting to crowd John. Right now though, John wanted his boyfriend for comfort. Without turning around, he held his hand out and within seconds Randy was there, wrapping him up from behind.

"I made us a sandwich, come downstairs and eat with me," Randy said, gently placing a kiss on the side of John's head.

"I'm not hungry," John said, rolling his neck. Turning in Randy's arms, he looked at his lover. "At least, not for food."

Before Randy could stop him, John was pulling him toward the bed. He had a look in his eyes which told him not to fight it, not that he would try. This was one of those occasions John had to take control. It was rare in their relationship; John preferred Randy take control of him. Tell him what he wanted, how he wanted it, and where he wanted it. Not today, at this moment. It was all John.

Without saying anything, John pulled Randy's shirt up over his head and then went straight for his pants. Randy helped by kicking his shoes off and let John do the rest of the work, leaving him completely naked and growing harder by the second. All of this without even a kiss from John.

John walked over to the dresser and opened the drawer which held the few toys they owned. He pulled out the item which told Randy he was truly in control. Their handcuffs.

"On the bed. Hands above your head," John ordered.

As soon as he was exactly where John wanted him. John fed the handcuffs through the bars of their headboard, clasping them around each of Randy's wrists. John stepped back and took in the sight of his boyfriend, and Randy was soon licking his lips in anticipation of what John might do.

There wasn't anything romantic about anything so far, but Randy wasn't worried. John would turn sappy afterward, just as he always did. The only question was how much he was going to make him suffer first. Randy watched John strip out of his clothes and was again licking his lips, appreciating the sight of his naked boyfriend. John walked round to Randy's nightstand and pulled out the lube, pouring some into his hand.

"Do you remember the last time we had sex on the veranda?" John asked grabbing Randy's cock and lubing him up.

"End of July if I remember correctly," Randy answered, holding back a groan.

"Remember how you called me a slut," John reminded him, causing Randy to grin.

"I remember how you screamed just like a slut as you rode my cock," Randy said, his grin spreading further across his face. "Always turns me on when you get like that."

John moved to straddle him, keeping a grip on his cock. John lowered down until Randy could feel the head of his cock touching John's opening. Randy's pulse was quickening, knowing he was near his destination. All John needed to do was lower himself down onto his cock and Randy would be home. He'd be able to watch John ride him, getting both of them off, without needing to do anything.

"Get ready, honey," John said groaning as he finally slid onto Randy's cock. "Because I'm going to ride you until I cum. Then I might do it again."

"If you reckon you can… slut."

"Oh yeah, honey," John moaned as he started a slow ride. "You know I love it when you call me that."

"Then ride me hard, slut, and show me how much it turns you on," Randy instructed.

Immediately John picked up his pace and was calling out every time he sank down on Randy's big cock. He kept his balance as his hands explored Randy's upper body, moving from his abs to his chest. His speed changing from slow to fast as he tried to make it last.

Randy desperately wanted to grab hold of John's hips and hold him still as he ploughed up into him, but the handcuffs chaining him to the bed were stopping him. John's moans and cries of ecstasy were causing his completion to arrive to soon and he didn't want to disappoint John. John needed this to keep his spirits high, he wasn't going to let him down.

"Keep riding me darling," Randy encouraged as John led on top of Randy, keeping his movements going, though much slower.

"Want you to hold me now," John said moaning as Randy's cock still managed to hit the right spot inside him.

"I can't like this, darling," Randy said. "You'll have to undo the cuffs."

"No, I'm in charge," John said, curling into Randy even more.

"You can chain be back up afterward," Randy suggested. "Just let me wrap my arms around you, like you want me to."

"Promise."

"This is all you, Johnny. Anything you need."

_Downstairs…_

"So do you think Steve's going to ask you out?" Alanna asked as she opened the door to the house. "It would be just in time for the winter formal."

"I don't know," Ava said. "I hope so."

"He's got to. He's an idiot if he doesn't," Alanna said putting her bag down on the chair in the hallway.

"He's not an idiot; he's really swe… what was that?"

"What was what?" Alanna said not hearing what her friend had. She made her way through to the kitchen expecting to find her dad. At the moment it was the only time she spoke to him. In so many ways she regretted avoiding him, but things weren't exactly good between the two of them, and she didn't want to make things worse. All she wanted to do was find somewhere she could fit in.

"I heard it again," Ava said, coming into the room behind her.

Just as she was about to tell Ava she was hearing things, she heard the noise as well. Coming from upstairs. Right above where they stood. That repetitive banging. Oh god, they can't, please god no. Not now.

"Why don't we go out? There's a park just up-"

"Oh my god… is that your dad… and his boyfriend?" Ava said with an embarrassed laugh. "Brad said they were gay, but I didn't believe him."

"Please, let's just go," Alanna said moving to the front door.

"You know what," Ava said putting her hand up. "I just remembered my mom wanted me home straight from school."

"Since when?" Alanna asked following Ava.

"Bye."

Alanna couldn't believe it. She was so embarrassed. It was bad enough that Brad knew they were gay, now one of her friends did as well. It wouldn't be long before the entire school knew.

She didn't want to be around this any longer. She grabbed her school bag and ran out the house. She needed to get away from them for a little while. She thought things were bad with her mom, but this was worse. At least her mom wasn't having sex when she got home. She just kept changing everything they did together to suit Neil. It was like Alanna was just getting in the way when she was in St Louis.

Moving to Florida was supposed to change that. At first it had. John and her dad welcomed her into their home. They always ate together; her dad went out of his way to spend time with her. He even went as far as over-crowding her. Though she found it comforting and funny rather than annoying.

John was always sweet to her as well. She knew he thought of her as the closest thing to a child he was going to have. And in some ways that was a good thing, he never overstepped the mark, leaving the parenting to her dad.

She wished she'd seem them more while growing up, maybe then she could have heard both sides of the story. She admired her dad for admitting he was gay, and she was happy for him. But all she heard from her mom when growing up was how he'd cheated on her. And her mom had no reason to lie. Not even to save face.

Alanna knew even her thoughts weren't making sense. She loved her dad, and not just because he was her father. But she hated him at the same time. He kept embarrassing her and calling her mom a liar. John as well. And he had no right. Then for her dad to comment on her boyfriend. It wasn't fair. He was allowed happiness, why couldn't she.

She sat on the swings, going back and forth between love and hate. Tears prickling her eyes. Then she heard her phone buzz. Pulling it out of her pocket she saw a message from her dad.

_DAD: ALLY, WHEN ARE YOU GETTING HOME?_

Alanna didn't reply, though she did get up and start heading back to the house. She didn't want to see or speak to him right now. But she wouldn't worry him unnecessarily.

The five minute trip seemed to only take one as she found herself at the front door. She tried to wipe her tear stained face so her dad couldn't tell. She just wanted to go upstairs to her room and hide. She could do her homework and then curl up with her favourite book.

Almost as soon as she opened the door, Randy was coming to meet her. His face full of regrets.

"Hey, we missed you today; we were supposed to have bre-" he stopped when he took in her sad expression. She didn't want him to, but he wrapped her in his arms, and she felt just like the young girl she was, always running to her father when she was upset. "What's the matter?"

She let him lead her to the bottom of the stairs where he sat her down and brought her into his side.

"She heard," Alanna sobbed into her hands.

"Who heard what, Ally?"

"Ava, she heard… she heard YOU," Alanna sobbed, anger coming through. How could he put her in this position? She'd be the talk of the school, sniggering, pointing fingers. She hated that.

"Ally, what are you talking about?"

Ally pulled out her dad's hold and ran up the stairs. She was more upset and embarrassed than angry. It was all coming out wrong, just like usual. When she reached the top of the stairs, she spun around and shouted at him.

"We came home… we heard you… and him," she yelled. "Having sex."

She ran to her room, slamming the door closed. She could hear her dad coming up the stairs but she didn't want to speak to him. She quickly locked her door and then dived onto her bed, the tears taking over.

"Ally, let me in," her dad said through the door.

"No… go away," she sobbed. "Leave me alone."

"Ally, sweetheart. I know you must have be embarrassed, but-"

"But what?" she yelled through her crying. "I'll get over it? I've got to put up with it?"

"No. Nothing like that," her dad said, the anguish clear in his own voice. "Please, just let me in. Let me talk to you."

Alanna didn't reply, she was too upset. She heard John coming upstairs as well to find out what was going on. Hear them talking on the other side of the door.

"John, she's my daughter. I'll sort this out."

"I know Alanna's your daughter. But I'm getting a little sick of your snippy little comments reminding me of the fact every time you're struggling with her," John barked. "I'm your partner and I'm trying to be supportive. If you don't want my help, fine. I have a business to save."

Alanna pulled a pillow over her head to block out the argument. They never argued. Except for the time when John forgot their anniversary. There was something else that was falling apart since she moved here. They argued more than she'd ever known them to. Maybe her dad was right. Maybe she was the reason to blame.

The thought alone made fresh tears to fall. Why did everything fall apart for her?

"Ally, dinner's almost ready. Why don't you come down and eat? It'll make you feel better," her dad suggested.

"I'll eat when I'm hungry," she sobbed quietly. "Now leave me alone."

"Okay, but we can't move passed this until you talk to me," he said. "If you don't want to take to me… I know John won't mind."

Alanna heard her dad move away from the door and after a few more minutes she managed to control her crying. She was so tired from fighting everyone. All she wanted to do was sleep. Her body listened to her for once and she felt herself drifting off to sleep, hoping her dreams would play out better than her life.

**Hope you enjoyed. Please, please, please review. It's unlikely to happen this time, but we're getting close to the 200th review, whoever gets the #200 spot will get a oneshot. Waldron82 haven't forgotten your oneshot. It'll be coming up after I've finished Saying Goodbye.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Wow, it's been a while since I updated... really sorry. Thanks to those who have been messaging me requesting an update. To make up to everyone I have an extra long chapter for you! We're also 9 reviews away from #200 so naturally a centon oneshot is up for grabs.**

**Hope you all enjoy the chapter.**

"Hey darling," Randy said walking into the office where John was perched on the edge of his seat, hunching over his paperwork. Randy hooked his leg over the back of the seat and slipped in behind John.

"Hey."

"You've been in here all morning, you need to take a break," Randy said, running his hands over John's shoulders, massaging them lightly.

"I've got to find a way to sort this; it's not exactly a small issue. My business is being threatened."

"John, please don't snap at me; I wasn't saying it isn't a problem, but you need to take care of yourself," Randy said trying to appease John.

"Whatever," John said with a shrug, pushing Randy's hands off his shoulders.

Randy inwardly sighed, letting his eyes slide closed, he was trying his hardest to make things better with John and Alanna, but nothing he did made the slightest improvement. Alanna was still avoiding him, leaving early, and coming home later. Even when she was home on time, she went straight to her bedroom and closed herself away.

He couldn't remember the last time they all sat down at the table and ate together.

Then there was John, everything was turned into an argument. He didn't know if John knew the distance he was causing between the two of them, and he didn't particularly wish to raise it with him.

The news of the development meant John's time was monopolised with Hard Nocks. Every other day he was getting calls from the developers trying to buy him out of the building. Little did they know, Randy's love was just as tough outside of the ring as he had been when they were travelling the world and wrestling each night. John wasn't going to sell.

The only trouble with that stance was the additional clientele he'd gained from the nearby businesses was dropping considerably. With the other firms closing down, he was fighting a losing battle. Then, a losing battle was John's forte. Randy just hoped John realised their relationship was starting to fall into that category.

"Can I at least bring you something to eat?" Randy asked deciding to leave John to his work.

"Please yourself," John snapped.

"Actually, I'm trying to please you," Randy commented quietly. He loved John, with all his heart he loved him, but if he kept up with the attitude, Randy was going to kick him into touch, and make John realise not everyone is out to get him.

"Randy, wait," John called, trying to stop him as he walked down the hall. "I know I'm grouchy, I'm sorry, the meeting earlier today made me angry. That's why I've been hiding up here; I didn't want to be snapping at you. But of course, I've done that anyway."

"Yeah, well, we're both doing that these days," Randy commented, unable to meet John's eyes. "Makes me wonder if there are any underlying issues."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe we were living in some kind of bubble since we retired, not living in the real world," Randy suggested.

John stepped closer, but Randy wasn't ready to talk about the subject, instead he backed away and went downstairs. He hadn't heard John following him and presumed he'd returned to the office. Even with his concerns, Randy wasn't about to let John starve, so he set about making his partner some food. John was back on his craving for tacos and Randy would do anything for the man, including giving in to his desires.

He was so involved in preparing the filling; he didn't notice John walk into the kitchen. When the big arms wrapped around his waist, Randy jumped out of his skin.

"I don't want my home life falling to pieces as well as my business," John said resting his forehead against Randy's shoulder. "Tell me what you meant."

"Just pretend I didn't mention it. You have more important things to worry about."

"Tell me what you meant," John said sternly, the irritation clear in his voice.

"Don't tell me what to do," Randy snapped.

"This isn't the bedroom. I have equal control over our lives. Now what did you mean?"

"Fine," Randy snapped turning around in John's arms, shocking the man. "Everything was perfect, literally perfect, before things changed."

"You mean before Ally moved here?" John asked confused over Randy's statement.

Yes, things hadn't been easy, far from it in fact. And yes, Randy struggled at times coping with Ally's mood swings, avoidance tactics, and her recent change in attitude. Nevertheless, he loved her, as much as he loved John, but for some reason, everything was falling to pieces with the girl around.

"You really don't want me here do you?" Ally asked meekly from where she now stood in the doorway to the kitchen. "What, did I ruin your 'literally perfect' existence. I'm so sorry I've done that to you, John."

"Whoa, what? They were your dad's words not mine; don't throw it in my face," John snapped.

Randy felt like he had whiplash from the sudden head turns. Having not heard Alanna arrive home, he didn't realise she would overhear his words. Not that he even meant her. Ally might have been a catalyst, but he was starting to realise there was some flaws in his relationship with John.

Moreover, just as he'd come to realise she was there and was about to explain his comments, his so-called beloved through him in the firing line. Stressed or not, you didn't do that to your lover. His head snapped back so fast to face John, it was a wonder he hadn't broken it. What made it worse than anything was John didn't even notice the hurt in his eyes.

"Let's face it John, you're his life. He moved here for you, he cooks for you, hell, if you ask him to, I'm sure he'd even wash and dress you," she yelled at the older man.

Randy wiped his hands on a nearby towel, and walked out of the kitchen. Their family issues weren't going to be resolved today and he was took hurt to even care anymore; walking away he decided to let them shout it out between them both. Taking a seat in the family room, Randy held his head in his hands, trying to steady his emotions.

"You know what Alanna. I'm sick of your attitude, not everything in this world is about you and your issues. We've done nothing but bend over to accommodate you, but it's never enough. Just grow up," Randy heard John shouting.

When he heard footsteps heading his way, he quickly jumped to his feet and closed the door; he didn't need to have another conversation with either of them. It would only turn into another argument.

"Oh, and you need to get your facts straight," John said, his voice softer but still loud enough Randy could hear. "We have a joint relationship, your dad may cook, but I do the cleaning and take care of him just as much. Oh, and one more thing, he doesn't bend over for anyone. That's my job."

Randy was on his feet and heading for the door, quicker than he'd moved in years. He was in shock, had John really spoken those words. He pulled the door open harder than he should have, ignoring the sound of it slamming against the wall, and stormed into the hallway.

As John walked by, he caught him around the wrist and stopped him from walking away, "What the hell do you think you're doing, telling her anything about our sex life?"

"You know what Randy; you were nicknamed The Viper, because of how fierce you were, because you didn't take shit from anyone," John said, an anger boiling fiercely in his eyes. "Yet when it comes to Alanna, you don't seem to be able to handle it. So maybe someone else has to put her in her place."

"Do not tell me how to raise my daughter; you're not a father, you don't know anything," Randy snapped back, his own anger rising.

"Oh of course, I keep forgetting, I don't know a god damn thing about raising kids, keep throwing it in my face why don't you," John yelled. "May I remind you that you've been absent, except for the odd trip back to St Louis, for sixteen years."

In a blink of the eye, John was on the floor holding his jaw, Alanna was crying in the doorway clinging to Cody, and Ted stood in front of him trying to hold him back. Randy felt like he'd blacked out for a moment. When did Ted and Cody arrive?

His grip on his emotions was long gone. He knew tears were running down his face, just as much as Alanna, and he could see them welling up in John's. Maybe the only flaw in their relationship was himself.

"You need to leave," John stated calmly as he rose from the floor. "Now."

"This is my-"

"Randy, it might be for the best," Ted said quietly, and yet again, his head spun round to look at the person talking. "I don't know what happened, but emotions are running high. You need to let everyone cool down."

Randy glanced over at his daughter, her head buried in Cody's chest, while John stared, stone-faced, at him. He pulled back from Ted's grip, letting his head fall and walked toward the garage door. He probably wasn't in the best condition to drive, but how else was he going to leave.

He drove away from the house with no idea where he was going or how long they needed him to stay away. To top it off, he'd left his phone and wallet at home, all he had was a few coins in his back pocket. He kept driving until he saw a familiar diner on the outskirts of Tampa and pulled in, hoping there was a pay phone in the building. At least he could ring and get Ted or Cody to drop off what he needed.

* * *

><p>Ted watched Randy drive away from the house before returning to the kitchen. As soon as Randy was out of his sight, John had disappeared upstairs and as much as Ted wanted to make sure he was okay, John was a big boy who could take care of himself.<p>

Alanna on the other hand was just a teenager who was clearly torn up over what had happened. It's not every day you see your dad punch out his partner, even if his partner is a retired professional wrestler.

He made his way over to the sofa where he could see Cody was trying to calm Alanna down. Over the time he had known Cody, Ted was amazed at the level of maturity that Cody had. When he'd left the WWE for a short period to spend time with his wife, Ted had missed seeing Cody every day. And even when he'd suggested spending some time apart, Ted was the one who ended up admitting to the need to see the vibrant man. Seeing him now, he felt blessed to have Cody in his life.

"You know what, Al?" Cody said as she cried in his arms. "I think we need to get out of the house, forget about everything which is happening, maybe do some shopping or whatever it is you want to do. Hopefully by that point you'll start to feel better and can tell us what's been happening around here."

"What about dad and John?"

"I'll get hold of your dad and let him know what's happening," Ted said. "I can pop upstairs to make sure John's okay before we go. Do you need anything from your room?"

"Just my bag," she said quietly trying to dry her eyes.

"Okay, Codes, why don't you and Alanna go and get ready, while I call Randy," Ted suggested, taking his phone out.

"I'll talk to John," Cody said as he and Alanna headed for the staircase. As they walked through the hallway, a cell phone on the side unit started ringing. The noise alerted all three of them and Ted sighed, Randy had left his phone.

"I guess he forgot them when he left," Ted said, worried about where Randy would be going. "Go get ready Alanna and then we'll be off."

Cody made his way up the stairs behind Alanna and watched her disappear in her room before heading along to see John. Knocking on the door, he waited for the curt reply from John before entering.

"How's your face?"

John was led on the bed, facing away from the door so Cody or whoever had been the one to come up, wouldn't be able to see him. Cody wasn't sure whether it was to hide the bruise, which was no doubt already starting to show, or to hide any emotions, John might be feeling.

"Randy left his phone; do you want us to take it, in case he calls?"

"I don't care," John muttered.

Cody sighed at John's disinterest. It was clear the man knew how to sulk. As far as Cody was concerned, he could stay that way all day.

"Fine, well we'll be off," Cody said leaving the room.

"Is she okay?" John asked so quietly Cody almost missed it.

"Not really, figured we'd take her out, let everyone have some space," Cody said turning around expecting further conversation. Instead, John just continued lying on the bed, facing away from him. "You know, Randy isn't the only one to blame here, don't think I don't know what was said."

Cody left before John could reply, not that he was likely to. He met Alanna at the top of the stairs and they walked down together.

"Are they breaking up?" she asked as they all walked out to the car.

"I don-" Ted started, but couldn't find the words.

"Alanna they love each other, it will take a lot for them to end things," Cody said.

"You say that, but mom and dad called it quits, and they were married."

"Go back twelve years and I would have agreed with you," Ted tried to explain. "I was happily married, left the WWE to spend time with her, she was my world. But things changed and I realised, if you're unhappy, your partner is probably just as unhappy, and it would be wrong to continue just because it's traditional."

"Do you wish your mom and dad were still married?"

"It would be easier," she said to herself.

Ted drove them into Tampa and headed to the mall. He kept a pace or two behind Cody and Alanna, this was definitely more their domain than his. He would much rather be out fishing than spending time shopping. Not that much was purchased.

Alanna bought a few small things for herself and looked around but she couldn't afford the clothes she saw. When Ted or Cody offered to buy them for her, she just shook her head and moved away from the items.

Cody didn't seem worried about buying anything either and Ted swore it was nearly an hour between purchases at one stage. When they were lining up for coffee at Starbuck, Ted caught sound of a phone ringing and realised it was Randy's phone. Since Randy was likely to be calling from an unknown number, he answered, stepping away from Cody and Alanna while he spoke.

"Where are you?" Ted asked without greeting. "We've taken Alanna out to the mall... we left him at home... I don't think it's a good idea for you to do that, Cody said he wasn't very responsive when he spoke to him... you punched him, you won't be able to kiss him and make it better... I heard what he said because that's when we walked in... If you go back, you'll make it worse. I beg you to leave him be for a while longer... then wait until one of us is there to referee. I have your phone and wallet so you can come over to the mall and collect. I can meet you out the front when you get here... right now not a lot; someone is going to have to tell us what's happening soon... I'll meet you out the front in thirty minutes."

Ted went back inside Starbucks and found Cody and Alanna near the back in a quieter section. He didn't want to press Alanna, but he couldn't tell what was happening in the Cena-Orton household. Last time he'd seen John things were hunky-dory. Randy had been in hospital but they were happy.

"That was your dad," Ted explained as he took a seat.

"Where is he?"

"On his way here."

"But-"

"It's okay; I told him I'd meet him out front," Ted calmed her. "He wants to head home to speak to John, try and make things right."

"Let's hope John is more responsive."

"I told him not to bother. Those two are going to need a ref when they meet up."

"Is this all my fault?" Alanna asked, idly stirring her drink.

"No," Cody and Ted answered in union.

"I feel like ever since I got here, they're having these arguments. Dad keeps telling me Mom's been lying to me all my life about them. He doesn't like my friends or boyfriend. He always puts John first. Mom's been putting Neil first. At times, I feel like my boyfriend only cares that he has some gossip about dad and John. Everyone at school wants to know about it. Then I come home from school with a friend and she hears them upstairs. Then dad makes this comment today about how life was perfect before I got here," Alanna ranted and Ted and Cody let her get it off her chest. They could see the girl was having some issues, sure, some of them were typical teenager issues, but others seemed a little further rooted.

"Do you get on with John?" Cody asked unexpectedly.

"John's John. I've known him since I was a kid, he's always been there."

"That didn't answer my question," Cody told her, causing the girl to sigh.

"I guess. He's a nice guy. He makes dad happy," she said stirring her drink again. "I don't think he likes me though."

"Why?"

"He snapped at me earlier, before you got there," Alanna explained. "Said, not everything was about me. That I was ungrateful."

"I'm discounting what you said, but it doesn't sound like John," Ted said looking at Cody, confused over their friend's behaviour.

"He's been snapping at dad a lot the last couple of weeks, this business with the development has him stressed out. But it doesn't mean he didn't mean what he said."

"Backup a moment, what development?"

"Some hotel chain is buying out the businesses where Hard Nock's is," Alanna told them. "Rob didn't tell John about it and now John's the only one left who hasn't sold the land. He wants to fight it, but his lawyers don't think he has much of a chance."

They made their way out of the coffee shop and Ted left Cody and Alanna while he went to meet Randy out the front of the mall. When he stepped through the doors, he saw Randy perched on a low wall looking upset, and Ted felt it as well. Just as he was about to step up to Randy, he felt his phone buzz, taking it out he saw a message from John, 'If you speak to Randy, tell him not to bother coming home. I need some space from him.'

Just great, he has to play messenger between two grown ass men who were acting more like Alanna's age. This was really how he wanted to spend his day off.

"Where's Alanna?"

"With Cody, looking around some clothes shop," Ted said taking a seat next to him.

"Do you have my wallet?"

Ted fished it out his back pocket and handed it over to Randy. Randy opened it up and pulled out the money he had in there, "Tell her I'm sorry and to spend it on whatever she wants."

"You can't buy her Randy," Ted admonished him.

"I'm not trying to. But at the same time I need to make it up to her," Randy tried to explain his actions.

"What's going on with John and the gym?"

"We wondered if anyone on the tour knew."

"We didn't, Alanna told us over coffee," Ted mentioned. "Is it as bad as it sounds?"

"John wants to fight, you know how he is, but I wonder if it's a losing battle," Randy said running his hands over his face. "Speaking of, if Ally doesn't want to speak to me just yet, I'm going to head home and try and make peace with John. I don't like fighting with him."

"Yeah, well, not to stupor your plans, but you might want to reconsider," Ted sighed. "I got a message from John telling you not to come home."

"I've left it long enough, I won't let this get any worse," Randy said standing up.

"He said he needs some space."

"We just need to talk and it will be fine," Randy said. "Tell Alanna I'm sorry and I'll see her when you all get back. It might be good for us all to sit down and talk to one another."

* * *

><p>When Ted and Cody pulled into the driveway, Alanna was starting to feel better. She wouldn't spend all of the money her dad had given her, but she had bought a couple of books to read, the latest NASCAR game for John, and a new cookery book for her dad. It didn't seem like a lot but she wanted to make an effort.<p>

Alanna also asked Ted and Cody if they'd stay for dinner that night, as a thank you. Even if things didn't improve, she wanted to make it up to everyone.

As they went in, they made their way through to the kitchen, and Alanna spotted John outside, sat on the steps down to the lower yard. She immediately went outside and when he heard someone coming, he stood up and raised his hands to his face, wiping something away. When he turned around, he didn't make eye contact but Alanna still spotted the redness of his eyes, and dark mark on his jaw.

"John, I'm-"

"Have you seen your dad?"

"No we just got back," she said turning her head to look in the house slightly. "Did you have another fight? I'm so-"

"Ally, we're all to blame for different parts of today's arguments," John admitted as he stopped next to her. "I shouldn't have snapped like I did and I shouldn't have said what I did to your father."

"He shouldn't have hit you," Ally said.

"Maybe, maybe not," John murmured heading into the house. "If we weren't a couple, being punched out would be the least I'd get."

"But you are a couple," Ally said. "And whether you're two retired professional wrestlers or not, he shouldn't have done it."

John nodded his acknowledgement before going back in and taking a seat at the kitchen table. Alanna followed him in, "Can I cook for everyone tonight? I said to Ted and Cody to stay for dinner as well. I figured you and dad wouldn't mind."

Alanna looked up when she heard footsteps in the hallway; she caught sight of her dad and was about to tell him what she'd just been saying to John, when she noted his red eyes as well. Even thought John hadn't confirmed it. It was clear a second argument had happened. She didn't want to dwell on the arguments and wanted them to all move forward. Maybe even sit down with both of them and tell them everything, even why she'd wanted to move to Florida in the first place.

"Ally, why don't you take a seat for a moment," John said getting her attention. "We need to have a chat."

"Since you're both here, I got something for you both," she said going to her shopping bags to dig out their gifts.

"Ally, sweetheart," Randy said walking up to her and pulling her away. "Take a seat, please."

"Okay, okay, but look," she said handing them both their gifts. "I got these for you when I was out with Ted and Cody. I wanted to get you something to say sorry and I know you both enjoy these but I don't know if you already had them. If you do we can go back and swap them. John, that was new out this week and I know how busy you've been so I figured you didn't have it yet, and dad, I didn't think you had that cookbook. I didn't recognise it. I saw a nice dish in there I thought I could try tonight. I want to cook for everyo-"

"Ally, you don't need to cook tonight, that's what we wanted to talk to you about," Randy said taking her hand.

"Umm, sorry to interrupt but do you want us to disappear for a moment?" Ted asked.

"No, I think it's important you're here," Randy said.

Ally noticed Randy still hadn't looked at John since he'd entered the room, and even sat this close to him, he still didn't. John was just as bad; having not looked up from the table, except to make eye contact with Ally. She didn't expect things to be back to normal, but she hoped they could start to make amends. These men were her dads and she didn't want to lose them.

"Please dad, let me cook," Alanna said, feeling tears stinging her eyes. She knew the chat had nothing to do with her cooking but she didn't want to hear the truth either.

"Ally, listen to me-"

"I'm sorry, really I am, in all honesty I think of John as a second father, he's been with us since I was a kid," Alanna said, her tears now flowing.

"And I know how much that means to John and me, it's what we always wanted to happen. Right now though, John and I need to spend some time apart," Randy said squeezing her hand.

"But, no, I didn't want this," Alanna pleaded.

"None of us did, but we need to do this; it has nothing to do with you... and I don't mean that in a nasty way, but this is just because there are some things John and I need to work out and spending some time apart will help that," Randy tried to explain. "What you heard when you got home earlier wasn't aimed at you. All I meant was John and I were living in a dream world. Whether it was you moving here or Cody decided to move inn so he never had to worry about going hungry, it has brought us down to earth."

"The cracks have been showing for a while, all the way back to our anniversary," John pitched in. "If things were as perfect as they seemed, I wouldn't have missed it and we wouldn't have been arguing over it."

"But if you love each other..."

"John and I do love each other, which is why what happened today was painful for both of us," Randy commented. "We both said and did some things which hurt each other."

"So one of you will be moving into the spare room?" Alanna asked, hoping she wasn't about to be proven wrong, though she knew she was only kidding herself. "Please."

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to be moving out for a while," Randy said.

"But what about me? What about you and John? How can you two move past this if you're not living in the same house?"

"Ally, listen to me," John said taking her other hand. "We aren't going to be giving up, but we need some time. Especially after today."

"Now you have a choice, this is your home, so if you want to stay here I understand. John and I want this to have as little effect on you as possible," Randy explained. "I'm still going to be around. I'm just going to be staying at a hotel. Of course, if you want to come with me, then I'll find an apartment for us. I don't want you living out of a hotel."

"But that sounds permanent, you said this was just temporary," Alanna commented.

"And it is, but like I said I wouldn't want you to live in a hotel. It wouldn't be suitable," Randy said.

Alanna looked at both men trying to find the truth, when her mom and dad split up she was only five years old, so she openly admitted that she didn't know what was going on, especially since her dad was away so much as well. Nevertheless, today, sat at the kitchen table with her dad and his partner, it felt like they were telling her all over again. Maybe she was the cause of both, she didn't know, but she wanted to do anything she could to make sure it wasn't permanent.

"I want to stay here," she blurted out and she noticed her dad's despair as soon as she said the words. "Because that way you have to come over to see me, which means you and John will be forced to try and make it better."

"Ally, cutie, we keep telling you we're not breaking up, just getting some space," John said.

"I know," she whined angrily. "But if I go with dad, or it was you to move out, then it means there isn't the excuse to see each other and you'll soon get used to your new lives and before you know it, you call it quits permanently."

"I guess that settles it; I should be going," Randy said pushing back from the table.

Alanna knew she'd probably hurt her father but in the end it would be better for her family if she stayed at the house. She just hoped it worked out.

She and John followed Randy toward the entrance way and Alanna spotted his bags, he'd obviously realised long before the conversation that she would choose to stay here, and that made Alanna feel worse. However, she had a plan and she was going to see it through. Randy took his bags through to the garage, put the bags in the back of his Bentley, and came back into the house.

"I'll pick you up each day from school and drop you home, okay?" he asked quietly brushing his lips against her forehead. "Look after him."

"Okay," she said her tears still flowing slowly as she stepped back. She was so upset she went and walked over to Cody who stood in the doorway to the kitchen with Ted. She couldn't help but hug him, having felt comforted by him earlier in the day. Hopefully they would still stay for the evening as she expected John to be upset.

"I love you," Randy stated. "I won't let you go."

"Neither will I," he said finally looking up at Randy to make eye contact. They both clearly had tears in their eyes, neither truly wanting this, but needing it for some reason. Maybe it was just to prove they needed each other. "And I love you, too."

Alanna wanted to scream at them. They clearly belonged together, she knew that, they knew that, so why wouldn't they just talk it out?

"I should go," Randy said stepping back into the garage.

John followed him out almost immediately and Alanna thought it was better for them to have a moment together. It may give them a chance to start making amends.

* * *

><p>"Randy wait," John called as Randy opened the door to the car. He stopped but didn't turn around not wanting to face John right now. He wished he'd never made that stupid comment to John this morning. Now he was leaving his home, leaving behind his daughter, and leaving John, even if only for a short while.<p>

"What?"

"Turn around," John ordered him.

Randy reluctantly did what John requested and it was only then he realised John was in the same state that he was. John stepped in so he was close to Randy and reached up to cup his face. Straightening up so he was level with Randy, he looked deep into Randy's eyes, and let Randy see how much he loved him and needed him, before closing the distance and kissing Randy gently.

"I expect you to come inside when you bring Ally home from school each night," John told him. "Don't hide away from me."

"I promise," Randy said. "I should go."

John stepped nodding his head in agreement knowing they needed their space. He watched Randy get in the car and pull out of the garage. Why was he letting him do this? Why did he suggest it in the first place? He locked eyes with Randy as the car backed out and he stood there even once the car was gone.

"John?" Ted asked coming up behind him. "Are you coming in? Cody suggested ordering some food in."

"I'm not hungry; I'm going upstairs to lie down," John said walking passed him. "Make sure Ally eats."

**A/N: Please don't hate me, it will work out in the end. You know I can't keep these two apart. But you have to go through the hard times.**

**Please review to be in with a chance of a oneshot :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Okay, so you want a sequel or continuation of Love My Sister's Boyfriend... let me see... no promises.**

**In the meantime, enjoy the next instalment of Life is Good... Mostly.**

"Do you want breakfast this morning?" Alanna asked as John walked into the kitchen.

"I have an appointment with my lawyer this morning, I'll just grab something on my way over," John replied dropping onto one of the sofas in the family area.

It had been a couple of weeks since Randy had left, and John hated it. Even with their present state, John just wanted Randy around. He wanted to wake up wrapped in his arms and set about their morning routine; now he couldn't be bothered with anything. Nine times out of ten, he was still in bed when Alanna left for school and then when he did get up, he'd head straight for Hard Nock's spending hours working out before trying to work out what he could do.

When he noticed the time, he'd head home, make him presentable and then wait the arrival of Randy and Alanna. True to his word, Randy would always come in, but something had already started to change between the two of them. Neither knew what to say to the other and in the end it would always end with not much more than pleasantries.

"I've had a message from Cody, he wanted to make sure you were okay for Ted's mini party," Alanna said breaking his thoughts.

"Yeah, of course," John answered, though he could hear the own disinterest. "Your dad's coming, right?"

"He said he was," Alanna said with a smile. She was a bright girl who knew how unhappy John was, and how much he wanted Randy back. "Maybe the two of you could get some time alone and talk."

"In a house full of wrestlers? Yeah, that's going to happen," John said with a grimace. "We haven't seen half of these guys in a long time, we'll both be catching up with them, we won't be able to find time for ourselves."

"Well, let me find a way to get you two alone, and then I'll stand guard," she joked. "Anyway I have to head out to catch the bus. I'll see you tonight."

John wished he wasn't feeling so depressed. Alanna was away from her dad as much as John was more than he was, when you look back on the years she spent growing up in St Louis. He regretted always being so distant with her. It had nothing to do with her, but the situation they found themselves. He made a mental promise to spend some one on one time with her, help to improve the relationship.

He quickly sent her a message to apologise for the distance between them and promised to do something with her the next evening.

If Cody was throwing Ted a surprise party then John needed to pick up the slack around the house. Since Randy had left, John had barely touched any of the housework. John would normally have changed the sheets of the bed every few days since he was sharing with Randy. Now, with just him in the bed, there wasn't so much a need.

Before long, John had the bed sheets changed and the laundry caught up, just in time for him to get changed and ready to head to his lawyer. The last thing he wanted today, but it had to happen; his concern was simply that he was just going to be told he couldn't do anything to save his business.

They would be right of course, how many times was it made into a movie, and nine times out of ten, they found a way to come to some agreement. Somehow, though, John didn't see a way the hotel and spa would want to have a place for a body building gym. Even with it's growing clientele.

As he was leaving his phone sounded, and pulling it out he saw a message from Cody.

_DON'T TAKE THIS THE WRONG WAY BUT CAN YOU PROVIDE FOOD WITHOUT GIVING EVERYONE FOOD POISONING? I'D ASK RANDY, BUT..._

John sat in the front seat of his car, reading the message. He hadn't even thought about the detail. He'd forgotten all about Ted's birthday, Cody had been planning this for a long time. What was he supposed to do? Call Randy and ask him to cook; he didn't even know if Randy had remembered either. Maybe he could contact Randy and ask him for advice. Wait, was that Cody wanted, was this a way to get him and Randy talking. Of course, maybe it was just the excuse he was looking for.

_NOT SURE WHAT TIME PEOPLE ARE ARRIVING BUT... HELP... I HAD NO IDEA I WAS MEANT TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR TONIGHT._

There, he'd done it, now he just had to wait for a reply. Thankfully to take his mind off one trouble, John had his other problem to fall back on. The gym. He wasn't sure when they would disappear, but it would be nice not to have problems. Or at least have Randy around to help him with the problems. Of course, he did, until he ran him out of here.

He was driving down the interstate into Tampa when his phone rang in the grip. He was confused when the number showing was 'Home'.

"Hello?"

"You wanted help with the food, I get here, and you're not here," Randy said. John couldn't tell if he was amused or upset.

"Oh god, I didn't mean for you to come round; well I did, it's your home, obviously, but... what I meant to say... thank you... but-"

"You want me to go?" Randy asked.

"NO! Never!"

"Then what?" Now John knew he sounded annoyed.

"I'm on my way to the lawyer, to see them about the development. Get some advice on what I can do, if there is anything," John explained. "And I wasn't expecting you to just show up like that. You must have left as soon as you got the message."

"Yeah well, we don't want you giving the birthday boy food poisoning; though I'm sure Cody wouldn't mind playing nursemaid," Randy said with a chuckle.

"Okay, can we change that to Doctor, just for the visual," John laughed, feeling better all of a sudden.

"Well, I'm going to get to work on some food, how long are you going to be at the lawyer?"

"Not sure, will you still be there when I get back?" John asked, the nerves creeping in at the thought he wouldn't get to see Randy.

"I would imagine so, looking at this fridge, which I'm guessing you haven't stocked recently, I'm going to need to be creative or go shopping," Randy said. "If I looked in the trash can, would I see take out packets?"

"No, we've taken it in turns to cook, Ally is getting sick of my grilling though," John said as he pulled into the parking lot of his lawyer.

"Okay, well I'll probably be here when you get back; I might send you a list of items to get at the shop on the way. I don't want to start things and then have to run out."

"Okay, listen, thanks for this, honey, I appreciate it," John said.

"Yeah, gotta get started. I'll see you in a bit," Randy said finishing the conversation abruptly.

* * *

><p>John came out of his meeting feeling worse than ever. As he'd suspected, the truth was there wasn't a lot he could do except sign the paperwork selling the gym. His lawyer told him he could try having a meeting with them and of course, they would be there to mediate, but he didn't see it having much affect.<p>

The only piece of advice he could do was use his status as a well known WWE superstar to bring publicity to the fact that a big time corporate company, who already had two hotels in the Tampa Bay area, was turfing companies out of the space.

On top of that, his mind had been spinning since Randy had one gone round the house to help, but also then, after finally starting to act normally with one another, ended the call suddenly.

He checked his phone for messages but didn't see anything from Randy and he felt his heart sink a little further. They only had a brief conversation and he wasn't sure what he'd said in the few moments to upset Randy. The thoughts plagued him the entire drive home, and John dreaded it when he walked in from the garage. He listened for any noise coming from the kitchen, but there was no sign that anyone was there.

John went through to Randy's favourite room and could tell that he'd been there, the smells coming from the oven were delicious and when he opened the fridge it was full of different bowls of salads. Nevertheless, it didn't explain where Randy was.

Not wishing to stay in his shirt and tie, John went upstairs, heading straight to his room. When he opened the door, he stood stock still, looking at the sexy body of his partner, Randy Orton, with simply a small towel wrapped around his waist. He could have stayed there all day looking at the Adonis, but if he got, Randy wouldn't be happy. He coughed announcing his presence, and Randy spun round, a little surprised to see him there.

"I spilt something and needed to change my clothes," Randy explained as though he wasn't meant to be there.

"You don't need to explain, besides it's a nice view," John said with a smirk.

"I still have things to do, including going to the shop," Randy said pulling on a shirt. He stormed across the room, trying to brush passed John, however John caught hold of his wrist. Randy turned and looked at him, their eyes connecting with the same desire they were both fighting.

It was Randy though who made the first move, something that John didn't expect. Pushing John against the doorframe, he captured John's lips in a searing kiss. It wasn't romantic, or even out of need, put from loneliness, and John could easily succumb to it. Randy eased the pressure but kept their lips locked. When they finally broke the kiss, John held onto Randy's hand.

"Really not complaining, but I was only going to tell you that you're not wearing pants," John said with a smile and a chuckle. "If you want to kiss me again, I won't stop you."

"John, I want to..." Randy started. "...but I need to finish this food. Which means I have to go to the shop."

"Which means you need to put some pants on," John smiled a little, trying to make light of the fact Randy had just rejected him.

"Right," Randy said going to get a pair of pants. "It's lucky I had some clothes here still."

John couldn't understand why it was that when Randy and he talked, things got awkward. They'd lived together for years, had been friends for as many years before that, yet somewhere in the last two weeks, he and Randy had grown distant, as though they had nothing in common. He couldn't understand it. He just wished he could get things to improve. Maybe the party tonight would help to make amends. He just needed to make sure he got some time alone.

"...take them out when the timer goes off," Randy said interrupting John's thoughts. "Do we need anything else for tonight?"

"Huh? Oh, no, we have plenty of drinks," John said coming back to the present. He followed Randy along the corridor but Randy seemed to be on a mission and was down the stairs before John even reached the top. When he heard the door go he slumped down on the top step and held his head in hands.

"Hey, John, where you at?" Cody yelled as he walked in the room.

"Right here," John said, feeling as tired as he sounded.

"What's the matter?" Cody asked. "Wait I smell food; did you try cooking?"

"Try having a little faith in me. Randy was here and he's cooked. You must have seen him, he would have been pulling out when you arrived," John explained.

"Thank god, are you two back together yet?"

"No."

"Jeez, why not? What are going to tell everyone tonight?"

"You know what, I don't care. I agreed to this before anything happened. Frankly if it weren't Ted's birthday, I would be making myself scarce tonight."

"Well, when Randy gets back here tonight, you two better get your stories straight if you're going to put a show, that or be prepared for lots of sympathy comments," Cody said. "So I told everyone to get here for seven, and figured Ted and I would get here about half hour after that."

"Cody, you can change topics in an instant. And you should know how awkward tonight will be, we can't fake it for everyone. We can barely talk to one another without it becoming uncomfortable."

"Well, you'll have to try, tonight is about Ted, not you and Randy," Cody snapped.

"You know, you were a lot more considerate last time I saw you. If you're that concerned, you can always go elsewhere for this party," John snapped in return. He got on his feet and headed back to the bedroom, stripped down to his boxers and pulled on a t-shirt and cargo shorts.

He felt like going down to Hard Nocks but the truth was, with the situation over the potential loss of business, it would only depress him even more. Ideally, he'd like to stay upstairs for the rest of the day, but Randy needed him to look out for the food.

He went downstairs finding Cody still waiting around. Ignoring him, he went into the laundry room, putting Randy's dirty clothes in for a wash. He wanted Randy to have the option of taking the clothes with him, though he hoped he'd keep them here.

Coming back into the kitchen, he grabbed a drink and a bag of chips and then sat in front of the television, flicking through the channels.

"So are you going to ignore me for the rest of the day?"

"Nope," John said. "Just while you're being an inconsiderate bastard."

"Fine, okay, I'm sorry for being inconsiderate of your feelings," Cody apologised. "I just thought you two would have sorted things out by now and I don't want you to have another blazing row in front of everyone."

"Just go," John said as the timer sounded on the oven. "Everything will be okay. And I'll let Randy know if we feel like arguing, then we have to find somewhere to hide away. At least, I'll try to tell to him without starting an argument."

John listened to Cody ramble on before the younger man left the house. Why Ted and Cody couldn't see how much they cared for each other, John couldn't tell. It was crazy. He and Randy had known how they felt for a long time, they may not have acted on it for obvious reasons, but they admitted how they felt. Ted and Cody seemed oblivious.

With Cody gone and the food out the oven, John didn't feel up to anything else and was about to disappear upstairs when the door opened.

"Hey," John said at a loss for words at seeing Randy again. "I was just, um."

Randy nodded his head as John pointed up the stairs. John was about four steps up when Randy called him.

"Why are things this difficult between us?"

"I don't know," John said wishing Randy hadn't picked now to have a heart to heart. He continued walking upstairs, leaving Randy standing in the hallway. Go back to that morning and John would have jumped at the chance to try to talk things through, but right now, John just wanted to keep to himself.

He shut himself off, and resumed the channel hopping he'd done when Cody was there. There wasn't anything on that he wanted to watch, and it didn't bother him, he just kept flicking between the channels to give him something to do.

* * *

><p>The house was swarming with wrestlers both new and old, but Randy was on the lookout for just one, and his name was John Cena. He didn't know why he was looking downstairs, John hadn't come out of the bedroom since he'd got back earlier today.<p>

Maybe he shouldn't have kissed him earlier, maybe he wasn't ready for it. All John had said was some off handed comment; it didn't mean he wanted Randy to jump his bones. Then, hadn't he given John the brush off earlier when he'd ended the phone call, all because John called him 'honey'. That was stupid, he always called him that, and it was a natural thing to do.

"Are you going to start ragging on me, and telling me I have to go to bed at some ridiculous hour?" Alanna asked leaning against the kitchen counter where Randy stood.

"Let's just see how it goes, there's no point sending you to bed if this lot are still here," Randy said with a smirk at his daughter. "Can I ask you something? How's John been?"

"Downbeat, missing you, busy at the gym," Alanna answered reeling off a list of concerns. "He said we could do something tomorrow after school; guess he's feeling guilty for moping."

Randy looked at his watch, Cody would be arriving with Ted any minute so he couldn't excuse himself just yet, but as soon as the birthday boy was in and making the rounds, Randy was going to find John and drag him down to the party.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out to find a cryptic message, which he guessed was Cody's covert way of telling him they were arriving. They switched the lights off and everyone hid except Randy. When the doorbell rang, he went to the door and let them in.

It would have worked a little better if John was the one answering the door since Randy wasn't actually living there at the moment, but he managed to find the excuse they needed.

"Come on through, we're eating outside tonight," Randy said as walked in ahead of him.

As Ted walked in the lights flicked on and everyone shouted their surprise. As Ted gave out thanks, naturally to Cody first, Randy spotted John in the doorway to the veranda. After receiving a thankful hug from Ted, Randy stepped back into the hallway and made his way to the staircase. With any luck, he'd make it up to the bedroom before John returned, knowing full well what John was planning.

He took a seat on his usual side of the bed, with his back to the headboard and waited. Sure enough, a few moments later, John snuck back up the outside staircase and entered the bedroom.

"I'm concerned about you," Randy said as John stood looking at him. "You've been up here all afternoon. I thought for sure this would be our chance to have a chat. Make amends. I've had enough of being alone."

"Then you're sending out the wrong signals, actually it's more like mixed signals. Rather than reply to a message you turn up at the house, then when we're talking on the phone you damn near cut me off," John ranted. "Then I get back and you're naked, bar a towel, in the bedroom, I make a flattering comment and you kiss me, then you run out on me."

"Okay, so I'm not perfect, I'm working on things at this end as well. Today was the first time you've contacted me since I left. The only reason we've had any contact is because I promised to come in when I drop Alanna home," Randy argued, not liking where the conversation was going. "You call me 'honey' while we're talking on the phone and it threw me, I haven't been called that in a while. I shouldn't have kissed you, granted, but it felt amazing. I would've let it go further. I honestly don't know why I bailed."

Randy got up from the bed and walked over to John, he wanted to hold the man in his arms, but when he got close, John stepped away from his touch.

"Sex won't solve it, it'll just mask it, and as I much as I would love to have one night where I could forget at least one of my problems, in the long run I think it's better if we don't. I can't take the pain in the morning when we say goodbye or have an argument."

Randy was the one to step back this time, hurt by the words that John spoke. All he wanted to do was comfort the man, but he couldn't even do that right. He went to the door but stopped before opening it, "I was only going to hold you," he whispered before leaving the room.

He wasn't ready to head back down to the party, so he ducked into the spare room, closed the door and slid down to the floor. Maybe John was right, maybe they were beyond repair. He took some time to steel his emotions before going downstairs. Alanna was talking with Big Show, and Ted and Cody were across the room. Ted was busy in conversation, but Cody spotted him. Randy signalled to say he was going and straight away Cody was on his way over to him.

"You can't go, what about Ted's party?" Cody asked.

"I'm not in the mood to be sociable," Randy tried to explain. "Listen, give my apologies to Ted. I'm heading out to the car and going. I don't want to upset Alanna, can you let her know I've gone and I'll pick her up from school tomorrow. And don't let her stay up passed eleven."

"Where's John?"

"Upstairs," he said turning on his heel and heading out.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed, please review:)**


	23. Chapter 23

**I love holidays... lots of time to write :) I hope you're all enjoying the frequent updates. You'll be pleased to know I will be writing another chapter of Love My Sister's Boyfriend, but like Contentment, this will come much later down the line. I had an idea of how to end things differently while I was writing it, but decided against it for a oneshot, with the call for a follow up to the story, I'll probably tackle the idea I had. Not sure when it will be.**

**In the meantime though, enjoy the next instalment to Life is Good...**

* * *

><p>9:30am. Alanna should be long gone by now. He'd taken her to the cinema the other night as it was a way for them to do something without having to make conversation for a lot of the time.<p>

He loved the girl like a daughter, but now, she was just a constant reminder that he didn't have Randy in his life.

He felt like he should be getting up and going to work, but what was the point. They didn't need him at either gym, and the pool was moving along as planned. There was no need to leave the house.

He dragged himself from the bed and wandered downstairs to the kitchen, he should eat something at the very least. There must be some cereal in the cupboards, or some bread for toasting. Opening the cupboards he stood looking at the boxes, there were at least four to choose from. He wasn't in mood to choose so he closed the door and went to the fridge, maybe there was something simple in there. Some fruit, bacon maybe, pancake mixture; he didn't fancy any of them.

Closing the fridge, he turned around and grabbed the coffee pot, which was still warm. He'd have to have a word with Alanna and make sure she wasn't drinking too much caffeine. It wasn't good for a girl of her age. After pouring himself a cup, he went out onto the veranda and sat on one of the sun loungers; until it brought back memories from his nights spent with Randy out there.

He moved back into the kitchen and sat in front of the television but couldn't get comfortable and he couldn't be bothered to get up and get the switch. Maybe the den would be a better choice, so he moved through but didn't even sit down when he automatically went to go to the love seat he and Randy always curled up. Turning around as soon as he entered the room he padded across the hallway and went upstairs. The bedroom had become his haven. There were memories of course but there were too many to pinpoint just one. He put his drink on the bedside cabinet and fell back into bed, pulling the sheet up over his head.

He could hear Randy trying to coax him out of bed in his usual way, but unless he was there, John didn't want to know. He could feel the tears prickling his eyes and he tried his hardest to keep them in, a grown man shouldn't cry, right. Well, John was making a stand, he was upset, and missing his lover, he was allowed to let his emotions out. He reached his hand out from underneath the duvet and grabbed his phone from the bedside table.

Maybe if he gave him a call, Randy would come around and spend some time with him, help them get back to what they had before this all happened. He searched through the contacts, though why he did he didn't know, Randy was always speed dial #1 on his phone. In fact, Randy's number was the first thing he always made sure was on a phone whenever he got a new one. He was about to hit 'Call' when he stopped and started second-guessing.

Why would Randy come around just because he was feeling down? He was feeling down the other night and he walked away; left the house in fact. And stopped living there a few weeks ago, they may have agreed to it but it didn't make it any better for John, if anything it was worse.

Out of nowhere, the sheets were thrown back, and John looked up shielding his eyes from the sun pouring in through the window. Randy? Was it him? Did he sense that John was unhappy?

"John, what are doing still in bed? It's nearly twelve o'clock."

It wasn't Randy. In fact, that southern drawl could only belong to one man, but John was not in the mood to play host to Ted, especially if Cody were with him.

"I'm sleeping, what does it look like?"

"Yeah well, get up, I need to talk, and by the looks of the red eyes, so do you," Ted said leaving the bedroom. "And don't think I won't be back if you're not downstairs in five minutes."

"Yes _dad_," John whined trying to be playful but it came out a little too sharp.

Having no choice, he dragged himself out of bed for a second time and went to the bathroom, trying to recall where the morning went; he'd only been under the sheets for a few moments.

He avoided looking in the mirror, scared to see what he looked like, hoped he looked presentable, and then went downstairs. He found Ted in the kitchen, frying up some eggs and bacon.

"I get the impression you aren't eating well," Ted said pointing to a seat at the counter. "So help me God, you better tell me what I can do to help my friend."

"Right now, I'd just like to have my life back; my boyfriend, my business," John said without any emotion.

"From what I hear, you could have had your boyfriend back the day of the party but you pushed him away."

"No I didn't, he was trying to mess with my head. He kissed me then left, then that night he came at looking for sex, like that would help," John bit back at him.

"Sex always helps," Ted said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Yeah, well maybe if you and Cody started fucking, you might realise you two like each other a little more than friends."

"You know what, just because you and Randy turned out to be gay and in love, doesn't mean every set of male friends are," Ted barked at him shoving the plate of breakfast across the countertop to him. "And don't you dare talk about Cody like that."

"Your statement would have been more believable if you didn't defend him at the end," John said with a knowing smirk. "Listen, I'm a shitty friend right now, I'm not going to try and hide it, but frankly I have more issues going on in my life, I don't need to be dealing with yours as well."

"Gee, thanks," Ted said sarcastically.

"Maybe try talking to Randy, he might feel like talking a little more than me," John said.

"John, listen to me, I know you've got a lot of troubles, but as a friend, you should put that aside to help your fellow man," Ted said trying to reason with John.

"Don't preach to me Ted," John said complaining. "I'm sorry for the attitude, I am. As you say, I have shit happening in my life and that's affecting me, especially since I don't know how to get passed them."

"One piece of advice; sort things out with Randy," Ted sounded. "You and Randy are one of the strongest couples I've ever known. Together you can overcome anything. Once you have Randy here with you, you can both make things stronger with Alanna. I get the impression from the other night that she's putting on a brave face."

"What do you mean?"

"Let's see, you were sulking upstairs, obviously had another argument with Randy, and then he left, with you continuing to stay upstairs," Ted said pulling a face. "Cody and Alanna were doing a lot of work to keep everyone from knowing you've separated. Thankfully everyone presumed you two were going at it."

John rolled his eyes and moved out to the veranda to get some fresh air. He sat on the steps leading to the lower deck and sure enough, Ted joined him with a drink for them both.

"What does that have to do with Alanna?"

"She feels like she's causing trouble all the time, she chose to stay with you so Randy would have to come around to see her and therefore spend time with you, but it's not happening. Then she's trying to hide the truth from your friends. John, she's sixteen, not twenty-six. She shouldn't be covering for you two."

"Okay, fine, I'll check she's okay when she gets home," John said. "Invite her boyfriend around or something. So, do you have the magic cure for my business as well?"

"See my first point, sort things out with Randy," Ted said putting a hand on John's shoulder in support. "Everything will seem better with him here."

"I don't want it to _appear _better, I want it _to be _better," John said shaking his head.

"If you only have one thing to worry about and your partner is at your side, you will find a way to save the gym," Ted said.

"I hope you're right," John said. "I just need to find a way to get Randy back."

"You will."

John finished his drink as they sat looking over the yard thinking about what Ted had ttold him. Ted was a good friend and he felt better for talking to him. It helped that he was right; with Randy by his side, he could accomplish anything.

"So what did you need to talk about? John asked. "I can't say it will be the best advice in the world with the way I'm feeling, but I can give it try. Plus, it's only right to return the favour."

"You know how you didn't believe me earlier when I snapped over your comment," Ted said as John nodded his acknowledgement. "Well, maybe that was because there was an element of truth to it."

"You want to fuck Cody?"

"JOHN!" Ted cried his face flushing in embarrassment. "You've spent too much time with Randy over the years."

"I'm trying to work out where you're at with the acceptance process," John said chuckling. "Nothing works better than blunt comments."

"We're nowhere near that!"

"I'd say you aren't far off," John shrugged. "If I ask you some questions, I don't want you to get defensive; I want you to tell me the truth. And I warn you, they won't necessarily be comfortable questions."

"Okay," Ted said cautiously.

"When you're having a conversation with a group of people, do you find you lost track of the conversation because you're focused on Cody so much?"

"...Sometimes."

"Okay, when he's speaking, do you look at him in generally or do you find yourself looking at his lips?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"The kind I know to ask because I've been there."

"Fine, yes... a lot of the time," Ted said feeling angry at being caught out.

"Last couple of questions," John said hiding a smile. "Do you think about kissing him, or him kissing you?"

"Yes," Ted whispered as though he didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Do you look at his butt?"

"Yes," he answered in another whisper.

John was trying his hardest not to laugh; not because Ted was thinking this way, or because he was struggling to admit it, but because he had been there himself. Only by the time they'd reached this point, he and Randy had already kissed, and had a silent acknowledgement of their feelings.

"One more, then I'll leave you to your thoughts," John told him, already standing where he'd been sat. "When you look at Cody's ass, do you have a... reaction?"

John didn't even wait for an answer, mostly because he didn't want to know, he wanted Ted to think on it for a moment or two. It wasn't helping that as he asked the questions, he thought back on his own exploration, how he used to think about Randy, about kissing him again, about how that kiss would feel against his lips and on his skin. He imagined how it would feel to have Randy hold him. He may be the stronger of the two, but John would always feel safe in Randy's arms.

It was a tough time for both of them, but knowing the other was going through the same thing helped them both. Ted and Cody appeared to be at that stage, but they hadn't acknowledged it to one another. John wondered if Randy gave Cody a nudge, it might make them talk to one another. It would also give John an excuse to call Randy.

"I should be going," Ted, said walking back in from the yard and heading across the kitchen.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he said in a daze. "Thanks."

"Ted, one piece of advice. Talk to him, it doesn't help to keep this bottled up," John said in seriousness.

"Yeah, sure."

One thing Ted's visit did was make John want to see Randy. He wanted to feel those lips as much as he had all those years ago. Maybe that was a way to get Randy back, take him out on a first date. They could rekindle the fire they had when they first started.

He ran up the stairs two at a time and grabbed his cell phone from the bed, grateful he hadn't missed any phone calls. He dialled Randy's number as he walked along the hallway back to the stairs. Within a couple of rings, Randy had picked up.

"Hi," John said tentatively.

"How are you feeling?" Randy asked with concern evident in his voice. John wanted to tell him he was feeling a little aroused at the thoughts he'd been having, but that wasn't any way to start things up again.

"Loved," John said after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I realise how I pushed you away the other night... I'm sorry," he said reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"It's fine. I was worried about you," Randy explained.

"I know, and I was too involved in myself to realise that. Anyway, I was wondering," John said as the doorbell went. "Hang on two seconds."

John went to the door and answered it, shocked to see Paul Levesque stood there. Paul smiled and stepped in before John even said anything, "I was hoping you were in."

"I've got to go. I'll give you a call back. I love you," John said without thinking.

"Love you too."

Randy had hung up before John had a chance to reply, but hearing those words from Randy brought a smile to his face. At least he knew they had a chance, if there was love then there could be a future.

"How is Randy?" Paul asked interrupting John's thoughts.

"He's fine, we both are," John commented working his way through to the kitchen. He swore they spent the majority of the time in the kitchen. There was something about Paul which made him wary these days. He could never tell what his agenda was. In general, John and Randy had a rule that when they dealt with the WWE, they dealt with Stephanie.

"I heard about the gym," Paul said taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Everyone on the tour is talking about it."

"Glad to know the gossip factory works as well as ever," John commented offhandedly.

"John, I'm going to cut to the chase; you can't fight it. Trust me," Paul said traigght faced. "They're a bigger company and even with your status as a former WWE superstar, you won't be able to win a campaign, or a court case. Eventually somewhere along the line you'll realise that."

"I've got news for you; I already think that," John said. "What's your point?"

"I'm willing to buy you out the business," Paul said handing John a document folder.

John skimmed through the document picking up all the salient points. Paul was going to pay him a hefty amount of money to sign over the ownership of the business to him.

"If you agree to it, you'll have a better payout if you were to take their offer, and then it would give you the capital needed to open shop in another location."

John couldn't believe what he was hearing. Paul wanted him to sell out. It may be indirect, but it was the same thing, he was just selling to another person. Paul didn't understand, it wasn't anything to do with the money. John had enough money invested so he could do exactly as Paul suggested and open up elsewhere. It wasn't about that, it was the principle of sticking through. His 'Never Give Up' mantra that everyone latched onto when he was a wrestler wasn't a gimmick, it was his way of life.

"I'm going to remain polite and professional when I say this," John said feeling his anger well up inside. "I am not selling out to them, or to you. If you think I would, you don't know me very well. I would also like you to leave my house."

"John, this isn't personal; it's business," Paul said. "I'm trying to find a way to take the pressure off of you."

"You realise The Authority was just an act, right? What's best for me and my customers is that the gym stays open and I will find a way for that to happen."

Paul stood up and loomed over John for a moment before speaking, "I'll leave the paperwork here for you to read. Let me know if you change your mind."

* * *

><p>Randy was worried about the reaction he would get when he walked into the house that afternoon. Alanna was telling him that John wasn't out of bed by the time she'd gone to school the last few days and before that, it was becoming more frequent that John would lie in.<p>

He seemed a little perkier on the phone earlier in the day but when he ended the call unexpectedly, he never rang back. All afternoon, Randy had pondered whether John had come up with an excuse to get off the phone, deciding it wasn't worth the aggravation of trying to work things out.

When they did enter, Alanna shouted her greeting then went straight upstairs to dump her bag, apparently, she had plans with her friends and wanted to get ready.

"John?" Randy called as he walked across the entryway. "John... darling, are you here?"

He cursed himself for letting it slip, but then he'd let it slip earlier by telling John he loved him, which wasn't untrue, he just wasn't sure how John was reacting to things recently. He entered the kitchen and found the television on and John asleep on the sofa.

He crouched down on the man and as he was about to nudge him awake, he took in his lover's appearance. He seemed a little thinner in the face and he had almost as much stubble as he himself had, only on John, it didn't do him justice. His man was the clean-shaven variety, and it didn't sit well with Randy to see that much growth on his face.

Standing up, he mentally made plans to take care of his lover. He was concerned about his health, and wondered whether he could persuade John to see a doctor.

"Find him?" Alanna asked as she came bounding into the kitchen. Randy still wasn't sure on the new look Alanna was sporting, but he had bigger things to worry about. As long as she was happy, then that was what mattered.

"Yeah," Randy said, moving to his shelf of cookery books. "Has he eaten a full meal recently?"

"He's eating, never noticed how much," Alanna said with a shrug. "He takes a long time to eat. He's been pushing it around on his plate. I don't think he likes my cooking."

Randy chuckled at the face she pulled, knowing that John loved her cooking as much as Randy's. He placed a light kiss on her forehead and reassured her of John's appreciation of her food.

"Does he eat when he's grilling?"

"Not much different, pushes it around. But then, he hasn't done that since before the party," Alanna said. "I'll tell you this though, I didn't make that."

Alanna said nodding toward the uneaten plate of breakfast food.

"John sure as hell didn't. I guess he had someone over who could cook," Randy said feeling nervous as to who it was. What if John had met someone that Alanna didn't know about? Was that why he was sounding happier when they spoke on the phone, he met someone he wasn't arguing with? Did he have someone over to stay? Is that why he was lying in everyday? Had he found someone else?

Randy gulped at the thoughts going through his head, trying to find reasons why they were stupid ideas, but only succeeding in convincing himself even more.

"You're giving me a headache with your thoughts," Alanna said rolling her eyes at her dad. "Dad, he hasn't met anyone."

"I know," Randy said quietly.

"Then stop with the scared puppy dog eyes, it doesn't look right on you," Alanna chastised. "Are you planning on cooking?"

"Yeah, what time are you going out?" he asked.

"Half hour," she said with a shrug. "Brad and I are meeting the girls, he's picking me up."

"What are you planning on eating?"

"We're probably going to KFC. If not I'll get something when I get home."

"I want you home early, it's a school night, and I know you have homework," Randy said as she was leaving the kitchen.

"Gee, look whose home," she said over her shoulder.

Randy ignored the comment and set about cooking the dinner. He wanted to let John get as much sleep as possible since he looked like he needed it. If he didn't wake up in time, then Randy could keep their dinner warm.

He had an idea about setting out the table with candles and making it a romantic night for them, but the niggling thoughts about John's reaction came back. He didn't even know if John wanted him to stay to eat.

Within thirty minutes, Randy had prepared the dinner, and had it in the oven cooking. He just needed to grate some cheese over the top about five minutes before it was time to serve. While John slept, he cleared up the plate of food John had left on the side and then went upstairs to the bedroom.

He was a little shocked at the state of the bed, it wasn't like John to leave the duvet all over the floor, and when he went into the bathroom, there were a couple of towels on the floor. John was falling behind in his cleaning pattern. With all the other signs, Randy really was concerned about him.

He stripped the bed sheets and gathered the towels before heading down to the laundry room to put them in for a wash, checking with Alanna if her sheets needed doing. She rushed out of the front door yelling her answer and he was concerned she'd wake John as she slammed the door closed.

Needing something to do, Randy went to clear the table, finding what looked to be a contract on the table. He skimmed through it and although he wasn't acquainted with some of the terms, he could see it was an offer to buy John's business. He guessed that was the reason for the end of their conversation earlier. He just wished John had called him back afterward, that way he could have come over, and talked it through with him.

He moved the document over to the kitchen counter and continued to set the table, deciding to light some candles. John needed something to pick him up, and with any luck, he would see the gesture Randy was making and not get the wrong impression about it. There was one other thing Randy wanted to do before they sat down to eat, and that was to give John a shave.

He checked his watch and timed things out, if he woke John up now, they would have time to give him a shave and still have a little time to talk before dinner was ready. Going to the couch, he gently shook John. He didn't really want to wake him but it was necessary.

As John's eyes fluttered open, Randy watched as emotions played across John's face. Confusion first, then a faint sign of happiness before resting at hope. Randy smiled lovingly; he missed seeing John wake up. He was beautiful as he took in his surroundings, whether at this time of day or first thing in the morning, "Hey, sleepyhead."

"What are you doing here?" John asked confused at seeing Randy.

"I dropped Alanna off and you were sleeping. I thought I'd make you dinner," Randy explained in a nutshell.

"I'm not very hungry," John said sitting up.

"Will it help if I told you it was mac and cheese?" Randy joked.

"No," John lied with a small smirk.

"Come on, before we eat, there's something we need to do," Randy said taking his hand and pulling him up from the sofa. When he started leading him up the stairs, he felt John slow down.

"Randy... I know I told you I loved you earlier, and I do, but..."

"I don't want to have sex with you," Randy blurted out quickly, knowing what John was thinking, or at least he hoped he did. "Well, I mean, I do, but not now, not tonight even... unless you decide you want to... I mean, I don't want to rush, and that's not what I'm planning... but if you want to, then of course, I... it's sex right, who wouldn't want it with their lover... oh hell, would you shut me up already before-"

"I'm intrigued to see how deep you're digging that hole," John said smiling.

Randy took a deep breath before stepping down so he was level with John, "Do you trust me?"

"Implicitly," John whispered. Randy swore John was looking at his lips more than his eyes, but then John always had a thing about his lips.

He led John upstairs and went through the bedroom to their en suite. He sat John down on the side of the bathtub while he ran some water in the sink. Taking John's shaving gel; he lathered his lover's face and neck.

"I like you clean shaven, darling."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you all enjoyed, please review :) The more reviews you leave the closer we get to the next one shot ;)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hope you all enjoy :)**

"Morning Mr Orton."

"Morning Mr Runnels, how's things?" Randy asked as he took a seat in the cafe where they were meeting.

"It's good, what did you want to meet about?" Cody asked.

Randy ordered some breakfast and a coffee when the waitress came over to their table and thought about how to broach the subject with Cody as the younger man kept the waitress waiting as he chose what he wanted.

"Cody, seriously, it's breakfast, not a three course meal," Randy chastised noticing the waitress' strained patience.

"Yeah but it's the most important meal of the day," Cody said with mock seriousness.

"Ma'am, he'll have the same as me, but one less strip of bacon and an extra egg. He'll then have pancake with a small amount of syrup to follow," Randy reeled off Cody's usual breakfast. "Oh and of course, a large, strong, black coffee."

The waitress smiled at Randy as she wrote everything down and disappeared into the kitchen. Randy shook his head at Cody as he smiled at his friend. He could always count on Cody to bring a smile to his face, even through the roughest of times.

He still wasn't sure how to broach the subject with him. John had been the one to suggest having something to eat and catching Cody out as he ate. He was joking as he said it but they both realised it was probably the best way.

Ted and Cody had serious feelings for one another, something long passed a bromance, it was obvious they were each fighting the emotions they felt and didn't know how to deal with them. If John and he could help, then they were bound by friendship to do so. Even if Ted and Cody wouldn't appreciate it at first.

"How's Ted?" Randy asked. "John mentioned he stopped by the house yesterday."

"He's good, I think he's good. He's been acting all different the last few weeks. The party was first time I've seen him truly relaxed since before you and John, well, you know."

"Do you know what it might be?"

"To be honest, I don't, but I've been... distracted."

"Work gets in the way of friendships sometimes, you just have to make the time," Randy said with a shrug. "Especially as the champ, you have extra pressures which are put upon you, press conferences, radio shows."

"It isn't work that has me distracted, I wish it were, but it isn't," Cody hinted at the issue.

Randy thought this was a little too easy to be true, Cody was almost telling him and all he'd done was ask how Ted was. Maybe it was just because Cody was ready to admit it to himself. Sounding off to someone who had already been through it could make it easier for him.

"If it's not work, what is it?" Randy asked.

"It doesn't matter," Cody shook his head as their food arrived and he tucked in faster than Randy had ever seen him eat.

Randy cursed the waitress for her inopportune timing to bring their breakfast over. It wasn't her fault really, but Cody had been about to tell him and then she arrived. He reckoned he wasn't going to be able to get anything out of Cody while they ate.

He tucked in to his own breakfast and tried not to criticise the way it was cooked. They had used far too much oil, and he simply wished he were in his own kitchen and able to cook a healthy version of the food. He tried to imagine how different his morning would have been if he'd have woken up in his own home. John would have been putting some laundry on while or tidying something in the house while Randy cooked the breakfast, and then they would have sat together either in the kitchen or out on the veranda to eat, sharing their plans for the day. And of course, he would find every excuse to kiss John, maybe make him moan a little as he did kiss him.

"You alright?" Cody asked breaking his concentration.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Randy asked confused.

"Your eyes are watering slightly," Cody said, not looking at him directly as though doing so would embarrass Randy.

"Guess I let my thoughts get away from me," Randy said. "I still see him, and things have improved... but I miss sharing the first moments of my day with John."

Randy coughed a little as he tried to get his emotions in check, he hadn't realised how much he'd been holding in. John had been his life for the last few years, and not seeing him as much as he used to was taking its toll.

"Are you close to moving back in?"

"I don't know, I don't think so. I've stayed for dinner the last couple of nights since Ally's been out, but we haven't kissed. I have to try and stop myself from doing just that," Randy squeezed his eyes shut to hold the tears back. "The last time we did, it just made things even more confusing between us. You know it wasn't this confusing when we first kissed."

"What was your first kiss like?" Cody asked pulling a face of intrigue.

Randy inwardly admitted a little shock at the question. Cody had always been the one who hated catching them. He supported their relationship and saw them as a couple, but he always acted a little prudish when he caught them kissing, not to mention the morning he'd caught them in bed together.

"I guess you could say it was awkward," Randy shrugged. "It's not like it was planned or either of us had kissed another guy before. But actually when we settled into it, needless to say, it was good."

"You're not giving much away... how did it happen?" Cody pushed.

"Seriously, what do you want me to do, give you a play by play? Cody, it's like kissing a woman, only he could give as good as he got."

"Who instigated it?"

"If I have to name someone, I would say John, but we were both going for it," Randy said with a smirk, remembering the kiss. If he had to share that moment with anyone in his life, he was glad it was John. Short of when she was born, finding out he was going to be a father, was the happiest day of his life.

"And that was it, you were gay, and you were together?" Cody said nodding as though it was answering some untold question.

"Hell, no," Randy said a little too loud for their current location.

The waitress serving them looked over, smiling slightly, as though she knew what they were talking about. She weaved her way through the tables, bringing over the pot of coffee she held to refill their cups.

"Everything alright, boys?"

"It's fine, sorry, he's just an idiot sometimes," Randy said flashing her a grin as he indicated Cody.

"I'll let the insult slide this time, Orton," Cody said as the waitress moved away from them. "How was I supposed to know that isn't what happened. You two kept so much from us back then."

"Because it was life changing," Randy said. "We had to find our feet with it. I was having a kid with my wife, while thinking about being with another man."

"Okay, but for other people going through it, it's not much help." Cody spat out, revealing his secret. At least as far as Cody was concerned it was; Randy and John had suspected for a while. Even Ally had seen the change in them when he first arrived in Florida.

"Please tell me that's you acknowledging it," Randy said, sounding exasperated but pleased that Cody was finally admitting to it.

"Maybe," Cody said, almost sulking.

"Have the two of you kissed?"

"No!"

"Okay, okay," Randy said trying to calm him down. "Do you want the play by play on my first kiss with John?"

"Seriously, Randy, this isn't funny."

"I know, I've been there, remember," Randy chastised. "Look, I freaked out when we kissed, not straight away; it was a good kiss once we got into it. But once we finished kissing, I was out of there."

"You walked out?"

"No, we did an awkward goodnight and then I left, avoided him for a few days and then he forced me to talk about it. We admitted it had affected both of us but we weren't in place to do anything about it, though deep down we both wanted to."

"You say it like it was no big deal," Cody said. "I can't fathom how this happened between us; not that I'm sure Ted's feeling the same."

"In one way, it wasn't a big deal. I may have freaked a little to begin with, and honestly I think John found the same thing, he was just able to process it a little faster so we could move on from it."

"How long was it until you got together?"

"We kissed the night I found out I was going to be a dad, then again in 2012, but we didn't get together until the following year when everything was over with Sam," Randy explained still regretting the lost time with John.

"No stolen moments?"

"No, a couple of almosts, especially during the time we were all working together," Randy said. "In fact I thought a couple of times we were going to find a room and go at it, the looks were kind so intense."

"So when did you two first... you know?"

"Have sex? Well once we were together as a couple, it happened quite quickly. The need had been brewing for a good few years," Randy said wiggling his eyebrows.

"How did you decide who was... well, you know, the one who..."

"What?" Randy asked praying his amusement wasn't clear on his face.

"Do not make me say it?"

"Yeah, it's very clear you can't," Randy laughed. "And the term is bottom, or submissive."

"So... how did you decide?" Cody asked.

"It was just natural for us, there wasn't really any discussion," Randy said with a shrug. "Listen, I'm not going to go into detail about any of that because, the truth is, you aren't there yet. You and Ted need to admit your feelings, then see where it goes. In some ways the two of you are where John and I were when we had the second kiss, the kiss that, truth be told, started everything in motion."

"We are?"

"Yeah, you just haven't admitted it to one another," Randy said chuckling. "And, on that note, I have to be going."

"Wait, you can't leave it there," Cody said following Randy over to pay.

"Yes, I can. You have more than enough thoughts going around in your head," Randy said as they left the cafe. "You've done the first step in admitting it to yourself, now you have to speak with Ted."

"What if he doesn't feel the same; or freaks out?"

"Then you give him space and then deal with in the best way you can," Randy said leaving Cody on the spot. He didn't want to run off like this, but he needed to get to his appointment. He turned back as he was walking and called to him. "Codes, it'll be fine."

As he headed to his car, he pulled out his cell phone and rang John, he would be interested in the recent development, and it was an excuse to give him a call. He deflated a little when he went through to the voicemail, but he left a message anyway, "Hi Johnny, darling. I've just had an interesting conversation with Cody, but I don't want to tell you in a message. If you don't have plans, I'll stop for a little bit at the house and tell you all about it. Plus, I might have some other news as well, if all goes to plan. I'll see you later. Love you. Bye."

When he reached the car, he hopped in and drove over to the bank for his appointment. He wanted to discuss it with John first but with the pressures John was under with his gym, he didn't want to add another burden to his list. This could just be some good news for John to brighten his day.

Not to mention, if everything went well, it would give Randy a project to work on during the day. He knew it was better for them to be apart, and he'd made himself comfortable in the hotel, but the room wasn't his home. He couldn't curl up with John in the evening as they watched television, he couldn't cook, and he couldn't share his first and last moments of each day with John. He still instinctively reached for John each morning, and usually ended up curling into a pillow when he fell asleep.

He wished he could change that, but he needed to take his time, John was still skittish when they were together. He would eventually move back in, but right now, he just needed something to fill his time with.

He pulled into the parking lot near the bank and went in with his documents, hoping he looked presentable enough and made the right impressions. He suddenly wished he had spoken to John about it so he could help prep him for the meeting, but it was too late. He'd have to face the advisor alone.

* * *

><p>For the fourth time that afternoon, John had checked the time on his watch. Randy and Alanna were usually home by now and he was looking forward to hearing what Randy had to tell him.<p>

He'd already figured out what was discussed in his conversation with Cody by the cheerful sound of his voice. The young pair had a budding romance and they were only just starting to notice it themselves. What John was more interested in was what else Randy had to tell him, what this new might be. He was hoping in the back of his mind that Randy was going to come home, where he belonged. Just because he lived here didn't mean they'd have to have sex, or even sleep in the same room. Nevertheless, it would be nice to have Randy under the same roof.

He was trying not to get his hopes up, and trying desperately not to think on the other side. The last thing he wanted to hear was Randy telling him he'd bought an apartment rather than staying at a hotel. If he did that, then no doubt Alanna would be moving in with him. If he did that, it meant there was no hope of reconciliation. He couldn't have that, he needed Randy in his life.

Just as he started chewing on his nails, he heard the front door close and almost immediately, a hand slipped around his waist, "You only bite your nails when you're worried, what's the matter?"

The sound of Randy's voice had him relaxing back into the hold. More than happy to have Randy holding him. He lowered his hand to hold Randy's and sighed in relief.

"Johnny, what's the matter?"

"I love it when you call me that," John said letting a small smile slip across his face.

"Did you get my message?"

"I did," John said. "I've been chomping at the bit to hear your news."

Randy slipped his arm from around John and took a seat on the stool next to him. Just as he was about to speak, Alanna shouted her farewell without even coming into the kitchen, Randy spent a minute going back and forth with her over where she was going and what she was up to. When he only short sharp answers he went out to the hallway and had a conversation with her before she left.

"That girl is going to send me to an early grave," Randy muttered, taking his seat back on the stool he'd vacated. "What were we saying?"

"You were about to tell me your news," John said smiling. "But before you do, can I ask a favour?"

"What's that darling?"

"Can you stay to dinner, I've got some meat in which I can put on the grill," John said. "I even found the left over dressing from what you cooked last night and I've marinated it. Hopefully it tastes okay."

"I'm happy to stay to dinner."

"Good; now this news of yours?" he asked as they moved outside to sit at the table with some drinks.

"I expect you've guessed, Cody admitted he likes Ted," Randy said breaking out in a laugh. "He was asking questions about our first kiss, like he was looking for a how-to guide."

John laughed in response, "What did you tell him?"

"Not what he wanted to hear, lots of vague comments, I didn't tell him that there was tongue involved, or that once we got into it I was holding you by the back of the neck."

"You always say you prefer the second kiss," John countered.

"I do, it was much more heated, and I had admitted I was gay, at least to myself I had, and I wanted a piece of you. I also know how much you enjoyed it; there was a definite reaction to that kiss, that's why it's my favourite."

"Because I got a woody?" John guffawed at Randy's admittance.

"First time I kissed a guy, I mean properly instigated and had control over, and he got hard," Randy said with a sly smile. "That's going down as my favourite. But that very first kiss is right behind it in the queue."

When John's stomach unexpectedly growled, they decided to set about cooking the dinner. John warmed up the grill and while he was grilling, Randy prepared a potato salad to go with.

Although Alanna wasn't going to be back until later, again, Randy made up enough so there would be some left over that she could have if she were hungry, and if not, then he knew John was eating something the following day. Although as the days went by, he seemed happier in himself, Randy still worried about John's state of mind.

As they ate their meal, John and Randy made small talk. News from their families and other small bits of information. Nothing that was setting off grand topics of conversation, but just a light chat while they ate. Randy almost felt like they were on a date, something you would expect, as you grew more comfortable with the person.

After they cleared away the dishes, John pulled Randy onto the sofa, and they sat, knees touching, "So what was this other news you had, if everything went to plan," John asked getting comfortable next to Randy. He wanted to be ready when Randy told him he was planning to come home. As soon as he heard the news, he was going to pull Randy in for a kiss neither would forget.

"Oh that, yeah, I almost forgot," Randy said, and John rolled his eyes. Only Randy could forget something as important as coming home. "I spoke to an advisor at the bank today."

"Right," John said feeling a little confused, was Randy setting up a joint account for them. Wouldn't he need to be there for that?

"I finally decided to set that wrestling school up. I was just going through the details with the advisor to see how much capital he thought I needed to put down and what I'd need to do to move forward with it," Randy said with a huge grin. "It's going to give me something to do during the day."

"Oh..."

**Hope you enjoyed :) Please review :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hope you all enjoy :)**

"_Hey," John greeted him as he walked in the house with Alanna._

"_Hi, how's your day been?"_

"_Oh, you know, dealing with the gym," John said shrugging as though it didn't matter. "I was thinking, Ally is at her boyfriend's for dinner so why don't we go out for something to eat."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Yeah, just the two of us, save you cooking or me grilling," John said. "It'll give us a chance to talk about things."_

"_Sounds good," Randy said, a huge grin spreading across his face. "I'll just need to head back and get changed._

"_Okay, well I'll send you details of the restaurant and meet you there."_

Randy had ducked out to the restroom before John got there; he wanted to make sure he looked his best. He felt like they were going out on a first date again. Okay, sure, it would have been nice if one had picked the other up, but in the end, it didn't matter. It was John. John wanted to pick things up again.

He straightened his tie and checked his breath. He didn't want to be presumptuous but if they were going on a date, it could easily lead to kissing. As he left the restroom and went back to their table, he saw John being led through from the entrance. He was carrying a folder which looked similar to the contract Paul had left him, but Randy shook it off, I expect he just wanted to show him something later and wasn't audacious enough to believe Randy would head home with him. Although, if he were asked, Randy would be there in a heartbeat, even if it were just for coffee.

"Hi," Randy said leaning in to brush a kiss to John's cheek. When he pulled back, John looked a little flushed and Randy was pleased he still got a reaction from him.

"Hi," John said shyly as he sat down. "Thanks for coming."

"I would never miss a chance to have dinner with you," Randy said taking John's hand lightly.

They were interrupted briefly when the waiter came over to take drink's order and Randy ordered a bottle of red wine for them to have with their meal. Randy couldn't help but notice that John was particularly quiet since arriving. For someone who had invited Randy out, he didn't seem to be comfortable.

Randy held on to John's hand loosely, not wishing to lose the contact but not pressing John too much. It felt like all new territory for Randy, they weren't this uncomfortable on their first date. All of a sudden, John pulled his hand away and coughed in that way people did when they weren't sure what to do.

"I, uh, I brought some documents you might want to take a look at. It's some stuff that I got together when I was opening JC's. It was all knew to me. Rob kind of looked Hard Nock's when it first opened since I was on the road, but I was doing this one by myself," John said, barely taking a breath between sentences.

"Fantastic, thanks darling," Randy said taking the documents. "The Business Manager at the bank was helpful, laid out what I needed to do, how much capital I'd need to cover the cost of setting the business up. I was thinking of giving Danny a call, see if he can give me a few pointers."

"You might want to think about speaking to someone from WWE. Last thing you need to do is upset management. OVW is TNA training ground, has been for a long time," John said sounding more confident.

"You're right; can you imagine Paul's face he if found out," Randy said smirking.

The waiter came back with their bottle of wine and poured them both a drink, leaving the bottle on their table. They placed their orders before Randy took his glass, "How about a toast?"

"To what?"

"Moving forward and making amends," Randy said. He thought John looked a little puzzled but John nodded and they toasted before taking a sip. Randy kept his gaze on John as they did; knowing John could see the desire clear in his eyes. "I was thinking. How about after we've eaten, we take a walk, give us a chance to have a chat."

"Yeah, I guess," John said. "Randy, um..."

"I was also thinking, how about tomorrow night, you, me and Ally all sit down for a family meal. We haven't done that in a long time," Randy said.

"Randy..."

"Sunday is the Pay Per View as well, so we could do the whole takeaway thing and all sit down to watch the event. Just to show we're making the effort as well, we could invite Brad. I think Ally would like that."

As he spoke, he let his hand rest again John's again, fingertips running along John's, wishing so much to lace their fingers together, bring his hand up, and brush his lips softly on the back of his hand.

"Randy, this isn't a date," John said bluntly pulling his hand back.

"What?" Randy asked confused. "But you asked me out?"

"Yes, to have a business dinner. I thought we could discuss what your plans are for the wrestling school, rehash plans with regards to the use of Hard Nock's, because let's face it, that's not going to happen," John said shaking his head. "This was never meant to be a date."

"Oh," Randy said letting his head fall. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to hold his emotions back yet again. He didn't want John to see him so weak, or embarrassed. "Excuse me."

He pushed his chair back and took his jacket, "I should go."

John didn't make any move to stop him, no calling after him, and that almost hurt more. He wanted to look back and see how John looked, whether he was looking his way or not. However, he couldn't take anymore. How could he be so stupid to think John wanted to go on a date?

"Sir, your meal?" the waiter asked as he saw him go by.

"Something came up," Randy said without making eye contact, he just wanted to get out of there. He was a fool to think he and John still stood a chance. He left he restaurant and walked a few blocks before hailing a cab. He didn't want to have the chance of meeting John outside.

* * *

><p>"I didn't see John this morning, are we still doing the whole family meal thing?" Alanna asked, noticing her dad stiffen in his seat as drove up the road.<p>

"I don't think so," Randy said. "John has a lot on."

"We can check when we get in. He might need a break if he was busy today," Alanna said.

"I'm not coming in, I have somewhere I need to be," Randy said.

"But, you promised him and me, when you left," Ally said worried that the two men were falling apart.

"I know, but I need to be somewhere, he'll understand," Randy said. "Besides, this will give you two the chance to spend some time together."

"But-"

"Ally, please, I don't have time to discuss this," he said pulling onto the driveway.

"I thought things were getting better. You've been spending so much time together. You went out on a date last night-"

"It wasn't a date, Ally," Randy bit, still feeling the sting of the revelation from the previous night.

"Fine, give up them, whatever," she snapped, storming out of the car and into the house. Randy didn't want to leave things like that and wanted to follow her in, but the thought of seeing John stopped him.

Inside, Alanna put her school bag down at the bottom of the stairs and went through to the kitchen. She was hungry and after the conversation with her dad she felt like eating some ice cream. She went in the freezer and dug out John's Ben & Jerry's, grabbing two spoons. If he wasn't here, then John would be in his office.

He never use to spend much time in there, instead he would spread out in the kitchen or on the coffee table in front of the television, but ever since he got news of the development, Alanna reckoned he spent the majority of his day in the office.

She went upstairs but couldn't find him in the office. She knew all of his cars were there when she got back, so he had to be here somewhere. She went the short distance to the master bedroom and knocked.

"Yeah," she heard through the door. He didn't sound happy either.

"Hi," she called popping her head round the door. "Is it okay to come in?"

"I'm on the balcony," John said. Alanna went through the room and out onto the balcony where a couple of chairs were along with a small table.

"Want to share?" she asked putting the tub on the table.

John gave her a small smirk but shook his head, "What's got you to the point of needing ice cream?"

"Hungry, dad's annoying me," she said with a shrug.

"Where is he?"

"He didn't come in," she said quietly. "Did you guys fight last night?"

"No."

"Then what? He's all miserable, you're miserable, there must have been something happen," Alanna said. "You've been getting better I thought, since the party."

"Ally, drop it," John said barely audible.

"Why won't either of you talk to me about what's going on?" Ally said huffing slightly.

"Ally-"

"You keep treating me like a little kid, I'm not. I am sixteen years old. I have a boyfriend, and I know about the ways of the world," Ally said letting her frustrations show.

"If you know so god damn much, then you should know to keep the hell out," John snapped at her. "What's going on is between your father and I. Not you."

Ally was about to say something back, but the emotion got the better of her. She slowly got up and left John sat there. She went downstairs and took her bag pulling out her phone. There was one person who would make it better, she hoped.

"Hey Brad... would your mom mind if I came round for dinner? I've had an argument with dad and John... Okay, i'll be there in twenty minutes."

She ended the call and went upstairs to change before leaving a brief note to the fridge.

_I'VE GONE OUT. IF YOU CARE._

With that she was out the door, making sure to slam it hard, and on her way to Brad's. Hopefully her boyfriend would care about her feelings. She only wanted what was best for her dad and his boyfriend. Why was that such a crime?

* * *

><p>"Ted, wait up," Cody yelled as he ran along the corridor of the New Orleans Arena.<p>

"Just the man," Ted said with a smile. "I was going to your locker room to catch you."

"What's up?" Cody asked falling in line with the man he had admitted to himself he liked.

"Some of the guys are going out for drinks, I didn't know if you might want to go along with them."

"Oh, um, I was-"

"You can say no if you want, actually I'd probably prefer if you did," Ted admitted going a little red.

"You were?"

"Yeah. It gives me an excuse not to go," Ted said. "I was thinking about getting an early night since we have a free day before the pay per view."

"Right, cool, um, no then... in actual fact, I was, um going to ask if you wanted to get something to eat," Cody said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, sure, we can get pizza and crash at the hotel," Ted suggested.

"Wow, you know how to show someone a good time," Cody joked shoving Ted slightly. _Oh god, did I just do the womanly push. Oh man, if Randy saw me he'd be taking the piss._

"You alright man?" Ted asked giving him a quizzical look.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was, um, well I was actually thinking about going out to eat later, like to a restaurant," Cody said, hoping Ted would pick on what he was asking.

"Oh, right, yeah man, sounds good," Ted said. "You picking the restaurant?"

"Yeah no problem, how about Italian? You still have your pizza," Cody said with a big smile, he couldn't believe Ted was agreeing to it.

"Sounds good, listen, I gotta run," Ted said. "Stop by the locker room when you're ready to get going."

"Okay, yeah, no problem, do you have something to change into?" Cody asked.

"Yeah, yeah, later man," Ted said patting him on the chest. Cody was ecstatic; he and Ted were going out on a date. This was turning out easier than he thought.

_After the show_

Cody knocked on Ted's locker room door and waited for the call. Instead, Ted opened up with his bag slung over his shoulder wearing a t-shirt and cargo pants.

"Whoa, someone's dressed up," Ted commented at the way Cody was dressed in a smart shirt and pants.

"Umm, yeah, someone isn't," Cody said confused. "I thought you had a change of clothes?"

Ted headed down the corridor and indicated his t-shirt and pants, "Clothes."

"Right, but restaurant..."

"Damn, Cody did you book some fancy ass place; it's you and me getting food," Ted said over his shoulder with a smirk.

Cody's shoulders slumped, maybe next time he should mention the word date.

"Don't worry about it, I'll ring and cancel, we can grab a pizza on the way back," Cody said trying to remain upbeat. He was still having time with Ted, alone. It just wouldn't be a date. There's always another time. Of course, Ted could have realised what he meant and was playing diversion tactics.

Then again, maybe it IS as difficult as it seems.

**A/N: I have**** some good news for you... after many chapters, the next update will have some Centon actions... the question which stills hangs in the balance... will it help or hinder?**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and ask you to keep the reviews coming to let me know you're enjoying. Thanks :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Nice long chapter for you this time :) Hope you enjoy :)**

Rolling over in the bed he had tried to make his own, Randy groaned when he automatically reached over for John. Why did he keep doing that? Since their disaster of a business dinner, Randy had avoided going into the house unless he couldn't avoid it.

When he dropped Alanna home, she would instinctively try however in the last week or so, even that had petered out. John didn't bother trying to make contact and Randy was left to keep himself company. He'd read through the information John had provided him regarding setting up a business, and he couldn't falter the man. It laid it out as clear as day what he needed to do at each stage to set up the business.

He wondered frequently whether it was worth approaching John to ask for his help and guidance, but then the loaming thought of John's threatened business always came to mind and Randy was concerned it would be selfish of him to ask when John needed to put as much time as possible into a solution for Hard Nock's.

He was just considering going back to sleep when the phone ringing, jolted his senses so he was awake. He scrambled for the phone and murmured a hello, not knowing who would be ringing him on the hotel phone.

"Dad?"

"Ally? What's the matter?"

"It's John."

Randy was up and awake, pulling on a tshirt while Alanna told him what was wrong.

"I just don't get it. He never gets up. He's spending most of his day in bed. When someone rings he won't take their calls, I hear his cell phone ringing on and off but he always lets it go to voicemail. His lawyer called and he told me to take a message. He wouldn't even speak with his mom."

"Alright, I'm coming over; are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you eating? I don't want either of you going hungry," Randy said to her, concerned over his daughter. "I should never have left."

"John lived by himself before," Alanna said. "He can take care of himself."

"Ally, please don't start, I'm concerned for both of you for different reasons. Yes, with John, I'm concerned he's not eating. With you, I'm concerned you aren't getting the care and attention you should as a teenager. Yes, both of you can take care of yourselves, but YOU shouldn't have to, am I'm sorry."

"Just come round and see him," Alanna said. "Maybe he'll talk to you."

Randy finished the call and dived in the shower before dressing and racing out of the hotel.

* * *

><p>"I made you coffee," Ted said as Cody stirred on his bed.<p>

"Thanks," Cody murmured as he tried to wake himself up. "How long as you been awake?"

"An hour or so," Ted said. "I didn't think you'd ever wake up. You were out late last night."

Cody tried to think back to his late night on the town with the guys, he didn't remember much. Everything was a blur, more than anything, he was remember feelings. Feelings of loneliness and annoyance.

Ted handed him the drink and took a seat on his own bed.

"Two, I think I got back at two," Cody said as though answering a question posed to him.

"Geez, Cody. How are you going to be able to get through this day; we both have interviews this morning, we agreed to hit the gym, we then have the show. We won't be out of there until about midnight," Ted said. "It's lucky we have buses, could you imagine what you would be like trying to drive right now."

"I'd find a way to talk you into driving, just like I always did," Cody said trying to throw Ted a winning smile. As he did an image shot into his head from the previous night. He was on the dancefloor, arms wrapped around someone, but he couldn't tell who.

"And I'm too wise to your ploys and would have taken a separate car," Ted laughed at Cody as he tentatively sipped at his coffee. "I think you need some food in you."

"I don't think my stomach could take it," Cody said. Another flash; an ass grinding against his crotch, he was holding them in place. Man, the guys would be ripping him to shreds when they see him.

"Not that I feel sorry for you, but, are you alright?" Ted asked as Cody felt his face heating up.

"No, I don't think I am," Cody said quietly.

"Come on, get up and have a shower, we need to get you some fresh air and something to eat, maybe that second part when we get back to the hotel," Ted said helping Cody from the bed.

"When's the first interview?"

"Mine's in an hour; yours is an hour and a half."

* * *

><p>Alanna was looking through the lip-glosses in the makeup section. She and her friends were thinking of hitting up a party and the truth was she didn't own much in the way of makeup. What little she did own wasn't anywhere near suitable for a party.<p>

Her dad always told her she was blessed with her mother's natural beauty and whether he was right or not, she tried to keep her makeup natural. Her mom had shown her various techniques over the years, but she always ended up falling back into old habits.

She'd given her mom a call in the morning after speaking with Ava and after a few hours her mom had sent her through a list of the type of products she'd need. Now, here she was trying to figure out how she was going to be able to afford it.

Her mom and dad each gave her an allowance for the month, but they never topped it up. It wasn't much they agreed on these days, but that was one thing they did. Both parents wanted her to learn about controlling her spending. Just because they have money doesn't mean it could be spent on the frivolous items.

But it wasn't helping her now, which was she supposed to buy? According to the list her mom sent her, she needed both the mascara and the lip-gloss she was looking at. But considering she only had enough excess left for one of the two items, she didn't know which was better to get. She'd tried her mom but she wasn't picking up. Typical, she was probably busy with Neil.

"Hey, Orton, what you waiting for?"

"I'm not sure which to get the mascara or the lip-gloss," Alanna explained.

"Haven't you heard, there's a deal going on today, you can get both," Ava said looking over her shoulder.

"There are?" Alanna said having not noticed the signs anywhere.

"Yeah, the five finger discount," Ava said taking the lip-gloss from Alanna.

"Ava, we can't," Alanna said feeling guilty over her friends actions.

"Yes we can, come on; you pay for that one and I'll meet you outside. I love this colour by the way," Ava said as she walked away.

* * *

><p>Randy had received a message from Alanna while he was driving over to the house to say she was going out with friends; maybe it was for the best. He needed to get John sorted, and he was sure it would involve an argument at some stage. That was their natural state these days.<p>

He let himself in the house and noticed how eerily quiet it was. Even when he lived there and he and John had been out all day, coming home in the early hours, it was never this quiet. He wandered around the ground floor, just in case John ventured out of the bedroom, but to no avail.

Making his way up the stairs and along to their bedroom, he finally thought he heard something. He silently cracked the door and found the source of the noise. John curled up in the sheets, quietly sobbing. The sight and sound in front of him broke Randy's heart. He didn't know if John had heard him enter, but he quickly made his way to the bed, and climbed on.

"It's okay, darling, it's okay. It's going to be okay," Randy soothed getting as close to John as he could.

"No it's not. Everything is falling to pieces. My businesses are dying, Alanna doesn't like me and won't speak to me, and I don't know what's happening with us," John sobbed into Randy's chest.

"Hey, hey, hey, look at me," he grasped John's head and pulled it up to look at him. "Alanna does like you, she just a teenager. I've realised that the last few weeks. She's going to fly off the handle from time to time, but she's only sixteen, her parents split up when she was a kid and now we've been going through some stuff; I think she feels to blame."

"Even if you're right, there's still us and the businesses," John said holding tight to Randy.

"Darling, you keep saying businesses, has something happened with JC's?"

"Monthly finances are bad," John explained. "I've been putting all my attention into Hard Nock's, I didn't think about everything going on. Everyone has been giving the okay on things for the pool construction, which weren't in the plans. I barely broke even once wages for the staff had been paid."

"Darling, one month is okay. Have a word with the gym manager and tell him, all authorisations have to go through you. If it's urgent and they can't get hold of you, then they call me. I can find you and make sure you're happy for it to go ahead," Randy said. "Alternatively, you can send your scary boyfriend down there to have words with the construction crew. They are hired by you to stick to the plans. They shouldn't be moving away from that plan unless they don't have a choice."

"Are you still my boyfriend?" John asked looking up at Randy.

"I don't recall either of us breaking up. We just needed space," Randy said running a hand over John's short hair before kissing his forehead. "Honestly, though, I'm not sure-"

"Please don't give up on us, not now. I can't take it," John pleaded.

"Whoa, whoa, darling, I was just going to say, I'm not sure the space has helped. I think it made it worse, for both of us," Randy said.

"I love you," John said. "I never stopped."

"I know that," Randy said quietly. "And I hope you know that I've always loved you, from day dot one. Long before, we got together. It was a different kind of love, but it just got stronger... better."

"Then why have we argued so much recently?"

"I think it's just because we have a new addition to the house and each of us are trying to find our place. Ally doesn't want to be ignored any longer."

"I've never ignored her and neither have you," John said, his tears finally drying up.

"I don't mean us; as much as she's not ready to admit it. I think once Sam had Neil move in, maybe even before that, Ally was put on the back burner."

"And you think she's worried we will do the same?"

"Yeah, I do. Therefore, when we do have one on one time, she overreacts to make it clear she won't accept it. She doesn't want to be the third wheel. She wants to be a daughter who is loved."

"And me? What was I trying to fight for?"

"Acceptance, as a father," Randy said getting up from the bed and holding his hand out to John. He waited for John to take his hand and get up before he continued. "There are at least three parents in Alanna's life. Myself, Sam, and you."

"I'm not her dad," John denied as Randy stripped him of his shirt.

"You have been in Alanna's life since she was a baby, and when we got together, that became a significant amount of time," Randy said handing John his body spray and a fresh pair of boxers. "You are her father as much as me."

"Neil's been around more than I have," John argued.

"Neil is a prick and I don't understand what Sam sees in him," Randy said. "But I guess she had to settle, I mean she was married to me."

"Ego, honey," John said with a smirk.

Randy handed John a shirt and helped him on with a pair of cut off cargo pants, fastening them for him before cupping his face and kissing his lips.

"What about you?"

"Let's see, I'm trying to find a way to remain relevant in everyone's life," Randy said with a shrug. "After getting my daughter back in my life on a permanent basis, she doesn't need me all that much."

"Well I've been a mess since you left the house, I think you're relevant in my life," John said wrapping his arms around Randy, holding him to him.

"Johnny, darling, if you didn't have this ordeal going on with Hard Nock's, I think you would have coped just fine. You don't need me like I need you," Randy said with a shrug.

"Don't think that for a second. You are the reason I fell apart. Not the gym," John said squeezing Randy. "Tell me you believe me."

"Johnny, you had other things in your life. When I left, my daughter chose to stay here. That was my only lifeline. I had nothing else, that's why I decided to get moving with the school. So I had something to fill my time."

"Listen to me; you are the most important man in both my life and Alanna's. Regardless of what you say, you are her father, and I cannot live without you. Just look at the state you found me in."

"I love you, I want you to know that, and we're going to continue this conversation," Randy said smiling at John.

"But?"

"But; I'm hungry and since I found you in bed still, I'm guessing you need to eat," Randy said pulling John out of the room. "How about I cook you something?"

"Can we curl up together on the sofa and eat?"

* * *

><p>Alanna sat on the low wall outside the shopping mall; she was leant against Brad with his arm slung around her shoulders.<p>

"Are you girls done yet?" he asked, clearly bored of going around the shops.

"Orton?" Ava asked. It was annoying slightly that Ava could never call her by her first name; surely as her friend she could call her Alanna or Ally.

"Um, I have everything I need. It would be nice to have a new top but I don't know if I'd be able to afford one," Alanna said not bothered if she had one or not.

"Come on, I'm sure Brad won't mind if we get one last thing," she said dragging Alanna back in to the mall. "In fact, Brad, do you want help her pick one out?"

"Hmm, don't think she would wear what I'd pick out," Brad said sending a wink Alanna's way. Alanna blushed at the comment. Maybe she was reading too much into it. Brad knew she wasn't anywhere near ready to commit at that level.

Ava dragged Alanna into the nearest shop inside which held something Alanna would wear comfortably. She'd changed her style considerably since coming to Florida, however she had her limits to what she would wear. In truth, when she wasn't with her friends, she tended to fall back on wearing her jeans. She always felt like she was stylish, keeping up with the trends while keeping her own style. Yet when she met Ava and Brianna she found it was easier to wear the same as them.

In the end she didn't mind, it was cooler to wear her skirts and strappy tops in the Florida heat. The one thing she was pleased about doing was getting her lip pierced. She regretted doing it behind her dad's back but she'd wanted it for a long time. Now it had healed she was going to switch it out for a small diamante stud, rather than the sleeper ring, that was the one bit of it she didn't like.

"Ooh, look, this one would look amazing on you," Ava said holding the top up. It was a little more revealing than Alanna liked, but if she wore the lace bolero John bought her when he took her shopping, then she could dress it up slightly.

"I guess," Alanna said not wanting to commit to it. "Now the big question, how much?"

Without saying anything, Ava held up her hand wiggling all five fingers, indicating the five-finger discount she had used in the previous store.

"No, I can't," Alanna said looking around sure someone was watching them. "I'll just wear something I've already got."

"Come on, everyone does it. It's expected that you'd do it."

"Just rip the tag off and we'll slip in another bag, burying it under other clothes. They never look that closely," Ava said ripping the tag off and then thrusting it into Alanna's hands.

"Ava, no, I can't," Alanna said straightening up when she saw a store clerk coming near. "Maybe I'll come back next week and get it. I'll have a little more money then."

"Whatever," Ava said turning on spot and walking out.

Alanna hung the top back on the hanger before replacing it on the rack. As she walked toward the exit toward her friends, she spotted the security guard looking at her, giving her a small nod. He'd clearly seen what had happened. She was glad she wasn't weak enough to give in that much to her friends. She gave a pathetic smile back and quickly walked out the store.

"Is it even worth looking elsewhere?" Ava asked, clearly pissed off at Alanna.

"No, come on, let's just go. I need to head home soon anyway, John isn't well," Alanna said without going into detail.

"You better not try and worm your way out of this party," Ava said looking over at her from the corner of her eye.

* * *

><p>"Is he awake?" Alanna asked quietly as she entered the family room.<p>

"Dozing," Randy said quietly as he ran a hand over John's head.

Alanna thought things were looking better than they had for a long time. The last time they'd spent time together like this, they were sitting on different sofas. This time, John was led out alongside her dad, with an arm around his middle.

"Did you have a good time at the mall?"

"Yeah, it was okay, um Ava asked me around her house tonight, to stay, would that be okay?"

"Of course sweetie, what time are you going round?"

"Her and Brad are outside, we're heading over to Brianna's before going to Ava's," Alanna explained.

"I take it Brad won't be staying over with you," Randy said seriously. He didn't want to start an argument, but he wasn't about to let Brad anywhere near his daughter when he shouldn't be.

"No, just me and Brianna are staying. Chloe's grounded so isn't allowed," Alanna said.

"Okay, sweetie, what time will you be back tomorrow?" Randy asked her. "Don't forget you have homework."

"I did it all last night; I only have some reading to catch up on which I'll do when I'm in bead tomorrow. I don't need it until Wednesday anyway," she said with a shrug. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

"If I don't stay in the spare room, I'll come back as early as possible," Randy said nodding affirmation.

Alanna went over to her dad and gave him a hug, "I'm glad you two are working it out. I don't like you two being apart."

"I'm glad as well, but let's not get ahead of ourselves," he said as though he didn't want to jinx things.

"I'm just going to grab some clothes and disappear. I'll let you know when I'm going," she called back as she went to the stairs. She wanted to stay and not worry about the party, but if things were improving it would probably be better for John and her dad to have some time alone. She'd get back as early as possible so they could all spend some time together.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for having me," Cody said ending the interview and hanging up the phone. He hated radio interviews over the phone. He'd much rather go in person and speak with them, but then that would be difficult considering they were in California and he was currently in New York.<p>

"Was that the last?" Ted asked handing Cody a bottle of water.

Cody sipped from the bottle, feeling a lot better since he woke up that morning. He still wasn't up to eating, but Ted made sure he kept his fluids up. The truth was as the day went on, he was remembering more and more of the previous night, and it was the final memory that kept his stomach from truly settling.

All the flashes of memory he'd had of someone grinding against him were wrong. It was he, Cody Runnels, who was grinding against them. More specifically, against him, he couldn't remember his name, but he was dancing with another man. Thankfully, everyone else had already gone and no one could take the mick. That was definitely the way to confirm your gay.

"Codes, you have to take better care of yourself, baby," Ted said squeezing his shoulder. _Wait, what did he call me? _He turned around slowly in his chair to face Ted. The man looked a little shocked and uneasy.

"Teddy?"

* * *

><p>"Johnny, I love you, but I only want you to do this if you're sure," Randy said stopping John as he moved in to kiss him.<p>

"I'm sure. I should never have stopped you the times before, or been so mean at the restaurant," John said moving so he was sat straddling Randy's lap on the sofa. "And if this goes further than a kiss, I don't want you stopping to second guess. I love you Ran, honey, and I want you back in our bed."

Randy slid his hands up John's back and held him by the back of his head as he closed the distance and latched on to John's lips. They took their time, savouring the taste of one another as they kissed properly for the first time in nearly a month. Everything else was small pecks or out of frustrations, nothing as meaningful as this one would be.

John held himself up on the back of the sofa as Randy's hands started running up and down his back. Tongues started meshing as they explored each other's mouths. John moaned into the kiss and then bit Randy's lip gently before running his tongue over the area, he loved biting Randy's lips, and they always felt so succulent.

Catching on fire, Randy's hand held John tight to him as his other slipped down and rested on John's hips, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. He wanted to wait for John to give him the go ahead before taking the next step regardless of what John had already told him. When John started grinding against him, he took that as the go-ahead and his hands slipped under the shirt, bunching the material up and pushing it out of the way, as they continued kissing.

"Randy, please," John whimpered as he broke the kiss.

"What do you want?" Randy asked

"You, right here," John said kissing him fervently.

"No, Johnny, if this happens, I want it to be in our bed, please," Randy said calming John down slightly.

"I don't want some gently session," John said. "I want us, as we always are. Passionate and needy. Both of us."

"I know darling, and I'll make sure you get that, but you can still take a ride upstairs," Randy said keeping his hands moving over John's back. "It also gives us space for different positions."

John thought about it for a second before climbing off Randy and pulling him to his feet. They kissed and groped their way through the entranceway and then up the stairs, all the way to the master bedroom.

"We can reclaim this as ours, darling," Randy said leading John over to the bed.

John sat down on the edge, his eyes automatically falling at the same height as Randy's cock. Without thinking, he reached out and undid Randy's pants, licking his lips as he saw Randy's boxer covered cock come into sight. Randy let him explore and nuzzle his swollen member before he set it free.

"Can I?" John asked, looking up at Randy, his lips already edging closer to the cock.

"I want you naked first," Randy said pushing him onto his back. Starting at his waist, Randy placed kisses on John's torso as he moved the shirt out the way. When he reached John's nipples, he lavished each of them individually, tweaking one as he bit down gently on the other.

John was moaning underneath him, trying to grind up against him, but Randy had him pinned down that he couldn't. Instead, as Randy feasted on his skin, John shrugged his shirt off. He let his hands run across the back of Randy's shoulders. Then out of nowhere, Randy moved down, his hands leading the way on John's back, raking his fingers down his skin, and grabbing the back of his pants. John always wore his pants loose enough that Randy didn't need to undo the zipper.

"Ran, please," John begged as Randy's mouth neared his cock.

Instead of settling in the area, Randy kept going south, lifting John's legs so they were over his shoulders. He attacked John's opening with his tongue, making John thrust up from the mattress.

"Oh my god, Randy... honey... ohhh," he moaned as Randy loosened him up for later. "More."

John was gripping at the sheets as Randy shed himself of his shirt, which thankfully he'd worn a button-up top. With his shirt gone, Randy pulled away from John and moved to his bedside cabinet. Opening the drawer, he found their lube in the same place they'd always kept it, looking as though John hadn't used it for his own enjoyment.

John pulled himself into the middle of the bed and flipped over onto his front, looking over his shoulder at Randy.

"You were right, this is better," he said as Randy poured some lube into his hand and moistened his cock ready to enter John.

Randy climbed onto the bed and spread John's legs so he could move in close to him. He raised his hips and lined his cock up with John's entrance. "Gonna go slow, until I'm in you," he whispered and he pressed in gently against John. He took his time, pressing him bit by bit, fighting to hold back the moan he wanted to let go. It had been too long since he and John had been together.

When John did start moaning and pushed back against him, he knew John wanted him to go faster. He held himself up above John, and thrust a little faster, getting a pleasured moan from John. As he got the pace going that they liked, he lower down so he was flush to John's back. Wrapping his arm around John's chest, John instinctively grabbed it, using it as leverage to push back against Randy.

John turned his head and Randy latched their lips together, hungrily kissing each other as Randy continued thrusting.

"Fuck, Ran, honey... ohhhh... god," John moaned as Randy thrust hard into him, both of them needing to make up for lost time. "I'm… shit… I'm feeling it honey."

"Will you take me with you when you cum, darling?" Randy asked, short of breath from the speed of his thrusts.

"Yes… I want us to go together… fuck, right there… oh fuck… Randy, honey, please," John cried as Randy hit his prostate.

"John... darling... going to cum... oh fuck... fuck... yess... fuuccckkkk," Randy cried emptying his load into John as John cried his own completion, loud enough they could wake the neighbours.

Randy got his breath back and then withdrew, pulling John to rest against him, "Your ass is going to be sore tomorrow."

"Don't sound so pleased," he said with a chuckle.

"Hey, I'm going to be falling asleep in my own bed, with my boyfriend, who I just had fantastic sex with; why wouldn't I be pleased?"

"Because your boyfriend is going to have a sore ass tomorrow and you will have to put up with the complaining," John retorted with a smile.

"Don't worry, if it's that unbearable, I can always switch ends. You did seem eager earlier," Randy said pulling John even closer. "Now, no witty comebacks. Time to get some rest."

"After you make me one promise," John said already sounding sleepy.

"What?"

"You check out of that hotel and bring all your stuff back here," John said closing his eyes on Randy's chest.

"Promise darling, tomorrow I move back in."

* * *

><p>"I... I... it slipped out," Teddy said moving away from Cody.<p>

"Did you call me baby?" Cody asked. "Like John calls Randy honey."

"No. Maybe. It just came out," Ted said trying to explain.

"Maybe? Maybe, as in yes?"

"Cody, just let it drop," Ted pleaded. "It was a mistake."

Ted went to move away but then stopped, spinning around on the spot to face Cody who was looking confused as though he was trying to process what had been said.

"Okay, yes. Maybe as in yes. I like you. I tried ignoring it, but I can't. I think about you all the time when we're apart, which, granted, isn't much of the time, but I do. I have done everything I can to not make this so, then I realised, it's out of my hands. God made me this way; I have to trust his instincts. So, yes, I called you baby. Because I like you. More than I should as a friend."

Ted went to leave again but stopped himself when he got to the door, his hand on the doorknob. No matter what he couldn't go without some kind of response from Cody, he'd been running too long.

"I like you as well," came the whisper from behind.

Ted turned on the spot but didn't say anything. The two men simply looked at each in confusion and amazement as well as something new neither knew what it was.

**A/N: There you go, hope you like it :) Please review and let me know what you think :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Sorry I didn't get an update posted yesterday; Doctor Who 50th took precedence over everything.**

**To make it up to you I've got a chapter full of Centon goodness at the beginning and with a little treat at the end.**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

This time when Randy rolled over in bed, he was happily able to wrap his arms around John and squeeze him tight, burying his face in John's neck, "This feels so much nicer."

"I was thinking the same thing," John chuckled as he stretched, rubbing his ass against Randy. "Do you know what else I was thinking?"

"That if you keep rubbing that ass of yours against me, I'm going to pin you down and fuck your brains out," Randy said, pushing John down onto his front as he spoke.

"Crude honey," John said even though he let go of a small moan when he felt Randy's hard cock pressing between his cheeks.

Randy let his hand travel down John's stomach, gripping hold of his eager member, "Crude, but effective, darling. And no doubt what you had in mind."

"Almost, but the way I was thinking about it was you pinning me down while I was on my back," John said looking back over his shoulder at Randy.

Without another word, Randy pulled back and flipped John over onto his back. He pinned him down in the same fashion he previously was, grinding his hips down onto John's letting their cocks rub against once another. He closed the spaced by capturing John's lips, keeping the kiss light. Last night was a heated embrace which left them exhausted, slipping through until dawn. Although he thought it may be more to do with the emotional exhaustion than physical. Today though, he wanted the connection to be both emotional and physical. He wanted them together again in every possible way.

John matched his movements, and Randy let him take control of the kiss. Their tongues tasting one another as though the most exquisite taste they'd ever known. As John led the kiss, Randy fumbled for the lube he'd chucked somewhere on the bed the night before. Grabbing hold of it, Randy flipped the lid and poured some lube on his fingers. He slipped his hand beneath them and pushed two fingers straight into John, knowing his boyfriend could handle the stretch after the previous night.

"Mm, do you like that? I can feel you grabbing hold of them with your muscles," Randy said running his free hand along John's biceps. "Your whole body is muscle, I love it, and I love you."

"Please honey... I need more," John quietly moaned the words out. "Please."

"Do you want another finger in there?" Randy asked, knowing that John was after something more.

"No," he moaned sounding a little desperate as Randy started rubbing his prostate. "I want your cock in me... and you know it, so don't play coy."

"Fine,'' Randy said pulling his fingers out, leaving John's ass needing. He lined his cock up with the opening and pushed in one fluid motion until he was all the way inside. "But I want you to wrap those legs around me and keep them there while I make you moan so loud you'll let the whole neighbourhood know I'm back in this bed with you."

John did as he was told, wrapping his arms around Randy's neck as well so he could hold on tight. Randy placed his hands on the mattress either side of John's head as he started thrusting. Even with all their words, Randy wanted to take this slow, make John feel more loved than he ever had before.

His thrusts were long and slow and he lowered himself down to capture John's lips. It wasn't long before John was moaning into the kisses as Randy ensure he rubbed the tip of his cock against John's prostate. He kept the movements slow, letting the sensations build in John and him. Sweat built up on both of them as they moved in unison, John's hands running along Randy's back and arms as Randy moved his lips to John's neck, shoulders and collar bone.

The sensations grew until John's touch became more of a death grip on Randy's shoulders and neck, hanging on until Randy granted him his release.

"Need to cum, darling?" Randy breathed heavily in John's ear, clearly feeling the effects himself.

"Yes," John said holding on even tighter to Randy.

Randy changed to short hard strokes, dragging John's legs tighter around his waist as he thrust into John's sweet spot repeatedly.

"Oh god, Randy, that's it. I'm going to cum," John cried as his orgasm took over. He shot his load between their bodies as he cried his release. "Fuuuccckkk, honey, ohhh fuccck."

John's muscles instinctively tightened around Randy's cock as he thrust one last time into John, releasing his cum into John's ass and filling him up. As his cock finished shooting, he collapsed against John, spent from the exertions, breathing heavily trying to gather his breath.

"Damn, that was good," Randy said after finally finding his voice.

"Just good?" John joked with a smile.

"Yeah, could have been better," Randy said pulling out and rolling onto his back, using the bed sheets to clean his cock, feeling it twitch in his grip. Damn, he was almost ready to go again.

John attacked him playfully for his comment, straddling his waist, "mm, hi honey," he chuckled when he felt Randy coming back to life.

"Oh, no, you've already had it twice in the last twenty four hours," Randy said, running his hands up John's thighs.

"And apparently you want it a third time as well," John said rubbing his ass up and down Randy's cock. Randy smirked and let John work his magic, if he wanted this, who was he to stop it. John rose up and held Randy's cock rigid below him before sliding down onto his hard pole.

"Just remember, you wanted this. So no complaining later when you can't sit down," Randy said smiling at John.

"Oh, yes, honey, I know... it's all me," John moaned as he started riding Randy's cock. "You just lie back and enjoy the view."

* * *

><p>Alanna looked at her watch as she entered her home, nine thirty am, she wondered if John was up yet. She wanted to ring her dad the night before to get an update on John, but her friends were ragging on her for always looking at her phone. In the end she'd switched it off and focused on the party they were at.<p>

She didn't like not telling her dad about the party but he wouldn't have liked the idea and she didn't want to start an argument when he needed to be focused on John. It wouldn't have helped any of them.

She heard some plates being put away in the kitchen and she went through, finding John by himself. She looked around for her dad, but there wasn't any sign of him.

"Where's dad?" she asked John making him startle.

"Right here," Randy said walking up behind her. "Did you have fun at your friends?"

"Yeah, it was good," Alanna lied. In truth she would rather have been at home, but that was her decision. She didn't have many friends here in Florida and she didn't want to alienate the one's she did have because she didn't think going to a party was a good idea.

They damn near forced her to have some alcohol, but in the end they left her to her usual drink. The girls mixed with some of the older guys at the party who were already on break from college. They would come back after disappearing with the guys and be excited, telling the others about one kiss or another. Brad kept Alanna company on and off during the night, but when he wasn't, he was gone for a length of time. Overall, Alanna felt out of place in the crowd.

She did wonder at one point whether if she had a drink it would help her loosen up, but then she would be compromising her morals. She was only just sixteen, she didn't want a drink just yet. She also didn't want to become like her girlfriends who were going off with one guy and then another just an hour later.

"How are you both?" Alanna asked, trying not to think about the previous night.

"We're good," Randy said. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Um, no, I wanted to get back," Alanna said.

"Wow, like father like daughter," John said shaking his head in amusement. "We are better than good, cutie. Your dad has just got back from checking out of the hotel."

"What? Good is a good word," Randy said. "There's nothing wrong with that comment."

"Randy, good means it wasn't bad it wasn't exceptional," John commented. "You just moved back in, things are amazing, ecstatic, happy, excited, whichever you choose, as long as it's not good."

"Okay, darling. Al, we're excited," he said in a deadpan tone, checking over his shoulder for John's reaction. "Now, what do you want for breakfast?"

"You sounded more excited about breakfast than moving back in," John admonished.

"Oh, boy, here it goes," Alanna said shaking her head and going to the cupboard to grab the cereal. "I'll get my own to save the squabble."

"John, darling, what do you want for breakfast?" Randy asked.

"You two haven't eaten yet?"

"No, I wanted to get checked out of the hotel and settled back in here," Randy said grabbing out the ingredients for pancakes before John even answered. His head was in his laundry.

"Pancakes," John answered when he came back through to the kitchen, grabbing a kiss from Randy on the way passed. "Indoors or outdoors?"

"Outdoors," Randy called as John grabbed the cutlery and placemats to set the table. "Are you having some of these Ally?"

"Yes please," she said grabbing some drinks from the fridge. "Do we have syrup?"

"I got some the other week when I went shopping," Randy said.

The three of them went about finishing setting up the family breakfast before sitting down and eating. Alanna was so pleased John and her dad were back to normal, their normal banter around the table was what helped make them a family. Even when she wasn't happy, she could always count on them to try and cheer her up. It was always a different atmosphere to her mom's home where it seemed, if you were eating, you weren't talking. But then, it had got to the stage where they always ate without her anyway. The only time John and her dad did that was when she was going out for dinner.

"Your dad and I were thinking," John said as he finished a mouthful of breakfast. "We wondered if you wanted to go somewhere today, so we could do something as a family."

"Like where?" she asked.

"Anywhere you want," Randy chimed in. "As long as we can get there, we can go."

"Cool, um, there was somewhere I wanted to check out but my friends wouldn't be interested," she said with a shrug. "There's a history centre in the city. It sounded fascinating."

"Only my child would CHOOSE to go somewhere educational," Randy said chuckling.

"Clearly your genes are the dominant ones, "John chuckled. "Do you have the address cutie?"

"I can get it from the web," she said nodding. "You sure you don't mind going? We could go to the beach instead."

"No, its okay, it'll be good to go," John said. "I've lived in the Tampa area since before you were born, I didn't even know there was a history centre."

"You never stop learning," Randy said with a chuckle. "Including me. I'm going to need some help later if you don't mind. I want to get an idea what I need to do for this business plan."

"No problem, honey. We can take a look when we get back later," John said. "Do any of you mind if we make a stop on the way home. I want to drop by JC's, have a word with the manager."

"Want me to play the scary boyfriend?" Randy asked taking hold of John's hand.

"Play?" Alanna asked raising an eyebrow. "You are the scary boyfriend, not to mention the scary dad."

"Hey," he said chuckling. "I worked long and hard on that demeanour."

"No you didn't. It was easy for you to become a scary person," John said laughing. "You always sighed in relief when creative made you a heel."

"You know what, I'm taking back my offer," Randy said taking the plates inside.

"For no other reason than it would be a little bit of a laugh, you should let him do the scary boyfriend thing," Alanna said leaning over the table talking quietly to John.

"Let's see how it goes," John said chuckling.

* * *

><p>Cody stumbled across the room, switching on the coffeepot before disappearing into the bathroom to refresh himself. He never had a problem getting up in the morning, unless he'd been out on the town with the lads, but today just seemed different.<p>

After admitting their feelings toward one another, Ted and he had agreed, Ted mostly, to start taking separate rooms. He could understand Ted's thoughts; if anything were to happen between them, it would be a bit awkward if they were sharing rooms. But waking up, without Ted in the second bed was daunting. He hated being alone.

Finishing up in the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and went back through to the main room, pouring himself a coffee. Caffeine would help clear his head of the thoughts which had been swimming around since the previous evening. Ted liked him, as in really liked him, more than friends liked him; and he did as well, like Ted, liked him liked him. So shouldn't they be having coffee together, or arranging a date.

"Hey, Cody, you up yet?" came the loud banging on the door from one of his colleagues.

"If I weren't, I would be now," he said opening his door to find Darren Young stood outside.

"Mm, Cody, if I didn't already have a man in my life," Darren said purposely looking him up and down.

"Oh I know, you'd be after me in a heartbeat, but alas, you have a boyfriend, long time boyfriend may I remind you."

"I know, but please remind me just how lucky I am," Darren said with a huge smile at the thought of his boyfriend. "Are you putting some clothes on and hitting the gym? Ted as well."

"Uh, well, Ted isn't here," Cody said trying not to look guilty. "But I could do with a workout."

"What happened?" Darren asked pushing Cody back into the room. "You are not good at hiding guilt."

Cody awkwardly chuckled before grabbing up his clothes and disappearing into the bathroom to change.

"Did Ted find out you were grinding up against some fool in the club the other night?

Cody burst out of the bathroom with his pants still open and no shirt on, looking startled that Darren had seen him. As the memories had filtered back the previous day, he didn't recall Darren being there. "I don't know what you mean," he said in some feeble attempt to dissuade Darren from talking about it.

"I mean, when you were piss ass drunk and shaking ass all over some guy at the gay bar the other night," Darren said pointing at Cody's rear. "I know you were drunk, but you have to remember pulling me into a gay bar, telling me I was allowed to get my groove on as well as the others."

"I don't... it must have been someone else," Cody said finishing dressing.

"Oh no, it was definitely you. I was sober and trying to get some non-alcoholic drinks in you," Darren said laughing. "Then you spotted this guy who wasn't dissimilar to Ted and dragged him onto the dancefloor. I should be grateful you didn't go any further."

"Please tell me you haven't told anyone," Cody begged, scared his secret was going to be the gossip of the locker room.

"I was hiding myself for a long time, I know how to keep a secret," Darren said looking around the room in confusion. "Have you and yours had an argument or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"No Ted," Darren said indicating the room.

"We... um, well... we decided it would be better to get separate rooms," Cody said. "We didn't want to rush."

"So you have had an argument?"

"No, but going from friends to..." What were they now? They weren't friends anymore, they'd moved passed that, but at the same time, they weren't dating, so they weren't a couple.

"Oh, I see, you're at that stage," Darren said realisation hitting home. "Well, my advice-"

"Darren thanks," Cody said interrupting him. "But everyone is giving me advice. Tales of how they handled things. Problem is I don't think it would work for Ted and me."

"Why not?" Darren asked.

"Because, I have no clue how to take the next step. I asked him out on a date a few weeks ago. Apparently I did it wrong, because he didn't even realise," Cody said getting aggravated with his situation.

"Cody, you and Ted eat together all the time, you want to take him on a date, do something different to usual, or... let him take the lead," Darren suggested calmly.

"I have a feeling nothing would happen if I left it to Teddy," Cody said stuffing his gym bag with a change of clothes. "He's too laid back."

"Well, if you want something to happen, make it happen, march round to his hotel room and kiss him," Darren said, almost sounding like a joke. Cody felt his face going red at the comment. "What?"

"I wouldn't know how, I mean, how do you kiss a guy?" Cody said slumping against the dresser in the room.

"I don't know, how do you kiss a girl?" Darren said shrugging his shoulder. "I don't recall being told about any differences between the two, anatomically, it's further down that's different."

"Darren, I'm being serious," Cody admonished him.

"Cody, seriously, it works the same. Its lips and tongues," Darren said. "They work in the same way; the only difference is facial hair. But Ted's clean-shaven so it doesn't matter too much."

Cody stared at the floor for a while contemplating what Darren was telling him. Maybe he should just go for it, walk up to Ted's room, knock, and then when he opens the door, just grab him, and kiss him. That could work. It is a kiss; it is just letting him know what he wants. From there Ted can take the lead. He was happy for Ted to take control in all aspects, right down to... whoa. Maybe don't go that far just yet. Then again, if Ted wanted to take the lead there as well, then he was more than happy.

"I'd say from the look you're getting, you've just had another realisation," Darren said getting up and heading for the door. "Let me know if you want to talk at any stage. I'm sure John and Randy would be happy to as well."

"Uh huh."

Cody sat there still thinking as he heard the door close. He let his mind wash with fresh thoughts, what it would be like to feel Ted's lips against his own, to have Ted hold him as the kiss grew deeper. What it would feel like to have Ted pressing against him, feeling Ted's body more and more as their wasn't an inch of space between them. As his hands travelled Ted's body, feeling the muscles, every one of them.

The knock at the door startled Cody from his thoughts for the second time that day, what was with him today. He barely had the door open wide enough when he felt a pair of lips pressing against his. Soft and supple lips kissing him, little pecks of his lips until he realised what was happening.

Ted.

Ted was kissing him.

His Ted.

As he returned the kisses, his hands travelled up Ted's arms and wrapped around his neck as he kicked the door closed from prying eyes. The pressure of Ted's kisses built until he was nipping at Cody's bottom lip. He ran his tongue against where he bit him and seeking entrance to Cody's mouth.

When he opened to Ted, all the tension in his body disappeared and he relaxed in Ted's arms as he let him lead the kiss. Months, if not years of thoughts vanished and he finally felt like he had a place, and it was in Ted's arms. He pulled back to get his breath, Ted resting his forehead against Cody's as he held him to his body.

"Again," Cody demanded lightly, never wanting the kiss to stop.

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed :) Please review.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Can you tell I'm back to work? Here's just a small chapter to keep you going. I'm going to try and write a little more, but no promises, life gets in the way too much. Hope you enjoy :)**

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><p>As they sat at their table, chairs as close together as they could manage, Ted reached over and took Cody's hand. The butterflies in his stomach were still trying to tell him he wasn't over the initial crush. Cody was his, in almost every way, yet when he held his hand; it still felt not quite real, maybe even, not right. He was too use to Cody being his best friend, the person he could always rely on.<p>

Maybe that should have given him a clue. Even when they argued, by the end of the day they were best friends again. Normal friends would take a day or two to get over some of the arguments they'd had, yet one of them would always find the way to end the fight.

It didn't matter now. Now he could close the distance between the two of them and kiss him. Even here in the restaurant, he didn't care who saw them, he could kiss Cody, his Cody. The combination of the two caused his head to spin, a kiss from HIS Cody. Nothing could get better than this.

"Mmm, Ted," Cody murmured against his lips. "If you keep this up I'm not sure I could stop."

Of course there was always something that could make him to pause. He and Cody still hadn't discussed anything that came next... the big next as well. If they kept going they were starting to get to the intimate level, and Ted wasn't sure he was ready for that. They hadn't discussed it and Ted was concerned over which way Cody was looking to play things. Did Cody expect him to be the one, to-

"Ted?" Cody asked breaking into his thoughts. "I said the wrong thing, I'm sorry; it's just, last night..."

"I know, I was there," Ted said not catching Cody's eye line. "Things got heated."

"Do you regret where things are going between us?"

That comment did make Ted's head snap up and connect with Cody's eyes. He didn't regret it. One hundred percent, no. He wanted this relationship, he wanted Cody, he just wasn't sure how Cody wanted it, literally.

"No, not at all. I want you completely, in every sense of the words," Ted said kissing Cody hard on the lips. "I... I guess I don't know..."

"Ted?"

"Looks, let's not talk about this here. Even in this day and age there are certain conversations that should be held in private," Ted said with a faint smile. He ran his fingers through Cody's short hair, scraping his nails slightly on his neck. "Though I do want some more of those lips right now."

He pulled Cody to him and they took their time enjoying the newfound taste of one another, tongues tangling as Ted cupped Cody's face.

"Enjoying yourselves?" a gruff voiced interrupted them. Ted turned his head, sending devil eyes on the speaker as Cody buried his head in the crook of Ted's neck.

"Back together I see," Ted replied, tipping his head at the sight of Randy's hand holding John's tight. John of course was wearing a massive grin on his face as he took a seat opposite Ted.

"Finally got together," John said answering for Randy who sat next to him. "Cody, you going to rise up out of the sand you buried your head in?"

"Fuck you, Randy."

"Why am I getting the blame for something John said?" Randy asked looking offended.

"Can we order, I'm starved," Cody said moving from Ted's neck to behind his menu.

Ted watched amused as the red colour started to fade from Cody's cheeks. "So are you back at the house?"

"I am, just in time for Christmas," Randy said before stealing a kiss from John. Ted watched as the pair smiled sweetly at each other; he hoped he and Cody were still as into each other in ten years.

* * *

><p>"Babe, what did you get for question three?" Brad whispered trying to look over at Alanna's question paper.<p>

"I don't remember, I'm on number twenty," she whispered back. She looked up discreetly to see where her teacher was, not wishing to get caught, or Brad either. She wasn't sure how he was still on question three, they'd been doing the test for half an hour, surely he was further than that.

"What am I dating Brainy Smurf?" Brad said sarcastically. "Check and let me know."

She shook her head slightly, trying to communicate she wasn't happy cheating, all the while attempting to concentrate on the rest of the pop quiz. Algebra wasn't her favourite area of mathematics however she still understood it enough for her to get through the questions.

"Babe, please," Brad said reaching over for her paper.

She moved it out the way just in time, but reluctantly flipped it over to check her answer, "Five," she told him with a scowl.

"Cheers babe, you're the best."

She looked up again to check on the teacher. He was sat at the front of the class, his nose in a pile of papers. He clearly needed time to mark some work and didn't care much for what was happening in the class today.

She concentrated on the test, paying no attention to what anyone else was doing. She was going to finish as quickly as possible so she could go back to reading the book she purchased at the history centre.

"Okay, babe, what about question four, I don't get it."

* * *

><p>"I feel like it's bad timing," Ted said. "As soon as Codes and I... start something, I'm getting calls from my ex-wife."<p>

"Do you think she knows?"

"No, it's probably coincidence, but it doesn't make sense. She doesn't leave a message, if I answer she hangs up, and when I call back she doesn't pick up," he shrugged. "I don't know what's going on."

"Button, maybe you could go round and see her when we're back there next," Cody said.

John and Randy looked at each other mouthing _Button_ to one another. Where had that come from? Then again, John was sure neither he nor Randy actually wanted to know. It obviously meant something to the two of them.

He didn't even need to think about things, he knew the timing was a coincidence, how would she know Ted and Cody had decided to become more at that time. No one would know. Although, with the way the two were behaving when he and Randy walked in there was a good chance people knew, maybe not their families, but certainly anyone on tour... or the general public. He smiled to himself as he thought of their carefree attitude; he and Randy had taken a while to get to that stage solely because it was still a changing time when they fell in love.

Ted and Cody had the advantage over them.

"Penny for your thoughts," Randy whispered leaning close to his ear.

"Nothing important," John smiled looping him arm around Randy's waist and moving in close. "Just... happy thoughts. Life is actually good at the moment, minus the whole gym thing."

"Ran, what's happening with your wrestling school?" Ted asked interrupting.

"I keep going over the business plan, Paul heard about the plans and conveniently enough called, wants to take a look," Randy shrugged.

"Really?" John asked, shocked at the piece of information. "When did he get in contact?"

"About two days ago," Randy said shrugging again. "I told you didn't I?"

"No."

"Sorry, babe, must have slipped my mind," Randy apologised. "That has a tendency to happen when you walk in the room."

"Gross."

"Hey, we walked in to a restaurant to find you making out with your boyfriend. I'm allowed to make sappy comments to MY boyfriend."

"Whatever," Cody chuckled. "Did you like the latest twist in the storyline between Ted and I?"

* * *

><p>"Miss Orton, a word please," the teacher called as the class packed up their bags.<p>

Alanna gulped at the thought, there had been a few instances in the last couple of weeks where the teachers wanted a word with her after class. She hoped it wasn't as bad as the other occasions.

"Yes, sir?" Alanna asked as she stepped up to his desk.

"Brad, you can go on," the teacher said looking back at him.

"Whatever, I'll meet you in the quad."

The teacher, Mr Humphrey's, waited until he heard the door close before indicating a nearby chair.

"Alanna, can you tell me what you were discussing with Brad during the test?" Mr Humphreys asked.

"Ummm, we were-"

"Alanna, I'm going to be straight with you. Your grades have slipped considerably since the start of term," Mr Humphreys explained. "Now some might think it was because you're finding the subject harder, but I believe there's something else causing the decline."

"There's been a lot going on at home," Alanna said looking at her hands folded in her lap. "My father and his partner were separated for a few weeks. It was stressful at home."

"Okay, I accept that. However, the decline has been months, not weeks," he countered. "I can't help but wonder if there is something else affecting your grades. The same thing causing you to share your answers with Mr Faulkner."

Alanna's head snapped up in shock. She thought she had been discreet; apparently, Mr Humphrey was being cagey. She couldn't blame him though, she was caught out fair and square, and she was grateful he dealt with it in private.

The decision, which had been weighing on her mind for the last couple of days, weeks if she were honest with herself, was now moving to the forefront of her mind, and she couldn't let it linger any longer.

"I'm sorry," she said looking away from the disappointment in her teacher's eyes. "Can I go?"

* * *

><p>"I ate too much," Randy complained holding his stomach as John drove down the road to their home.<p>

"I tried to tell you," John chuckled reaching his hand over to rub Randy's belly. "I'll get you some antacid when we get in the house."

"I love you, darling."

Within minutes, John had pulled into the garage and the pair made their way into the house. John left Randy laid out on the sofa while he went in search of the antacid to calm his stomach.

It was a nice change for them to go out during the day, but Randy always had a habit of overindulging when they did. At least John helped him with his dessert though he preferred it when they brought it home and ate that particular course in private.

He found the antacid in their en suite bathroom downstairs and on his way back through the hallway he noticed the answer machine flashing. He hit the play button and instantly tensed when he heard Paul's voice. He was just checking to see if Randy wanted help and told him to call him at the head office in Stamford to arrange a meeting.

John didn't know why it niggled at him so much. So what if Paul wanted to help his old protégé out, it didn't mean anything. But after Paul's offer to buy him out of Hard Knocks and 'make the tough decision' for him, John didn't trust him as much. Maybe that was why Randy hadn't told him about the offer of help.

"Paul left a message on the phone, wants you to make an appointment via head office if you want some help," John commented a little too gruffly as he handed Randy the bottle.

"Darling come here and relax, I don't want his help," Randy said holding his hand out to John.

"Did you simply forget about his offer, or were you trying to be noble and protect me?"

"Protect you from what? Darling, Paul seems to think we don't have a whole brain between the two of us. You and I both know that's not true. I may not have the business acumen that you do, but I can learn, and I have always planned on involving you in some way," Randy said slipping his arms around John's shoulders as he lay on Randy, resting his head on Randy's chest. "Not to mention when Ally has left school, I may very well be calling on her help with the numbers, she has a head for maths. Are you sure there isn't another reason for this grumpiness?"

"Like what?"

"Maybe you're a little jealous. You thought I was approaching Paul for help rather than you."

"No."

"Really?"

"No," John said, a sheepish smile spreading across his face. "And I'm not grumpy."

"I only want your help on this project. I am so proud of everything you have achieved as a businessman. Turning Hard Knocks from a place for the wrestlers to go to the kind of place others may wish to join as well. Opening JC's and making it successful and now with the pool there as well. Not to mention you're still involved with the 10 Week BodyChange program. Okay you've handed the reigns over, but it's still your program," Randy squeezed him tight as he spoke. "You're the reason I can be make the school a success."

"You don't want Paul's help at all?"

"I might speak to him once we have some prospects. I want it to be somewhere people can come to learn the ropes, the basics, get their in-ring fitness levels up before moving on to somewhere like the Performance Center. For those that don't feel ready, I can run more advanced classes while they work the independent circuits."

"You have it all planned out, you just need to get it on paper," John said.

"WE, we just need to get it on paper. I want you involved in this John," Randy said brushing his lips against John's head. "I also think we need to switch positions because my stomach isn't any better."

* * *

><p>As she walked into the cafeteria, Alanna spotted Brad sat with some of the cheerleaders, more specifically Yasmin, the head cheerleader. Shouldn't she be off making moony eyes at the captain of the basketball team? She shook her head as she made her way to the back of the queue for her lunch, hopefully the New York Deli was still available, she'd been looking forward to it all day.<p>

As she waited in line, she couldn't help but keep looking over to Brad and the cheerleaders. She needed to move on. It was clear now; he wasn't interested in her like he should be. Alanna knew her dad would be pleased, he'd never liked Brad, but then, when does any father like his daughter's choice of boyfriend. Alanna couldn't understand why, it wasn't as if things were going very far. She wasn't ready for that and she didn't think she would be for a while. She was happy to wait for Mr Right to come along.

"Hey, what did Humphreys want?" Chloe asked, meeting her as she paid for lunch.

"Moaning about my grades," Alanna explained.

"I thought you were averaging a C?"

"I was higher at the beginning of the year," Alanna explained her eyes still focused on Brad. "Doesn't get I just not be good at the subject."

"Is writing to your dad?"

"No, but if they don't improve, he will have no choice," Alanna said trying to mimic a disgruntled teacher. "Hey, hold this a minute."

Alanna handed her tray to Chloe and walked over to Brad. She was stood there for nearly a minute before he turned around to look at her, and that was only when one of the girls sneered at her.

"Hey, babe, did he have a go?" Brad asked.

"I thought we were meeting in the quad?"

"I got delayed with the girls," he shrugged. "No biggie."

"Guess not," she said turning to walk away. "Oh and Brad, it's over."

"What are you on about?" he called after her.

Alanna took her tray from Chloe who stood dumbfounded at what she heard. Alanna let the smile split her face in two. She and Brad were over.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed :) Please review and let me know :)<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: I know, I'm starting with the same words I always do, 'sorry for the long wait'. Hopefully you all enjoy the new chapter. I beg you to review and let me know what you think. I lost my mojo on the last run because I wasn't getting the reviews.**

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><p>John loved coming over to St Louis to see the family, at least part of the family, but one thing he hated was the change in temperature. As they drove from the airport to Sam's home in St Charles, all three of them sat shivering.<p>

"It's not usually this cold when I get home from visiting you," Alanna said from the back of the car.

"It's not usually December though," Randy commented with a smirk. "We've just come from glorious weather to this."

"You both grew up here yet I'm the only one who seems grateful to be here," John said shaking his head.

Randy looked over at him with a smirk. Maybe John was trying a little too hard, but he did enjoy coming back to St Louis so he could see Elaine and Randy's family. Deep down he knew it was going to be a difficult week. To start with, they were staying in a hotel, which Randy wasn't happy with after his recent stint of living at one in Florida.

Neither he nor Randy were looking forward to their next stop, dropping Alanna off with her mom. It was the first time either of them had seen or spoken to her since Randy rang her to have a go some months back. John hoped they weren't going to have an argument today, he was tired of them, and their family had been living peacefully since Randy and he had reconciled. It helped that Alanna had broken up with Brad; Randy especially smiled when that happened.

Then, to top off their doom and gloom tour, they were going over to the family home. That in itself wasn't bad; John and Randy were both looking forward to seeing Elaine. Nate and his latest girlfriend were staying there as well meaning Randy would get to catch up with his brother; and Becky would probably be visiting as well with her family. The one person Randy was anxious to see was his dad, even if he didn't say anything to John.

Bob's acceptance of his son's lifestyle and chosen partner depended on if he'd seen Sam recently. One of the few members of Randy's family to stay in touch with her directly, and not through Alanna, would always remind Randy of what marriage vows were. John prayed he hadn't spoken with Sam recently.

"Here goes," Randy murmured as they pulled alongside Sam's house.

"What?" Alanna asked not quite hearing Randy's words.

"I said 'here you go'," Randy said louder, not looking back at his daughter.

"Nice recovery, dad," Alanna said shaking her head. "Can you help me carry my suitcase upstairs?"

"Yeah of course, come on John," Randy said indicating to John he wasn't doing this alone.

John was sure his look was not a happy one when he got out the car and went to close the boot of the car after the luggage was out.

"You alright Cutie?" he asked as he noticed Alanna looking toward the house.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just thought maybe mom would have come outside to say hi. I haven't seen her since I left."

"She's probably at the back of the house and hasn't seen us arrive," John said putting an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, your dad can handle the bags."

"It's nice being the donkey of the family."

John looked back toward Randy, laughing as he watched Randy bringing up the rear with Alanna's suitcase and her bag containing the Christmas presents. He focused back on where he was walking just as they reached the front door. Alanna turned the handle only to find the door locked.

"Maybe they're not up yet," John commented as Randy tried the door as well.

Alanna stepped back and found the spare key under the planter on the porch, unlocking the door so the three of them could enter. John silently prayed he was right about Sam and Neil being in bed still, or out the back and hadn't worried about unlocking yet.

"Mom," Alanna yelled as she walked through to the family room. "Neil. Is anyone home?"

When no one answered, Alanna slumped down to the sofa and grabbed the remote for the television, "Welcome home, me. Dad, do you have space in the hotel room? I might be staying with you yet."

"Al, your mom is probably at the shops, don't overreact," Randy said heading into the kitchen and putting the coffee machine on. "Do you want me to take your bags up to your room?"

"Why? You'll only be bringing them down again," Alanna sulked.

Randy's head hit the counter just as John walked into the room. As much as he and Randy knew this wasn't going to be the nicest trip back to St Louis, he was at least hoping they would have some congeniality before the drama started. He wrapped his arms around Randy's waist and forced him to stand up straight. "Every day I spot something else you and Ally have in common."

"I'm not going to like this particular trait am I?"

"Sulking," John, whispered so Alanna didn't hear them.

"I do not sulk," Randy, said taking mock offence and straightening even more. He pecked John lightly on the lips before separating and pouring a few cups of coffee, keeping Alanna's small. He also hunted around in the cupboards to find everything he needed to make Alanna a sandwich. He wasn't about to let his daughter have coffee without eating something as well. He wanted to make John something but thought better of it; using all of her food was a sure fire way to make Sam mad.

The three of them sat watching television for over an hour as they waited for Sam to return. While they were there, Randy took a call from his mom wondering where they were and he explained the situation. Alanna in the meantime was making plans with her old school friends. Randy was about to give up and make some lunch for John since his stomach was getting louder, when they heard a car pull up on the driveway.

A few minutes later, Sam came into the family room and looked at them all, "I thought you were arriving tomorrow?"

"No, today mom," Alanna said and John could hear a hint of annoyance.

"Oh, well, we've just been doing some shopping," she said heading out of the room without even acknowledging John and Randy.

As Sam left, so Neil walked in and stopped her, giving her a look that John took to mean they had something to tell everyone.

"We're pregnant," Sam said excitedly. "That's what we were shopping for. We're going to decorate this week. We thought since you were living with your dad now, we could use your old room as the baby's room. We've put all of your things in the spare room for you to sort out. See if you wanted to take anything when you head back to Florida."

John hadn't realised he was holding his breath until Randy brushed his arm as he went after Alanna, "Congrats."

"At least one of you has something to say," Sam shook her head. "What's wrong with those two?"

"I think its more, Ally's in shock. Randy's probably checking on her," John said as his stomach gurgled.

* * *

><p>John had offered to drive when they eventually left Sam's house. From the moment they arrived, everything went downhill. Not only was Sam not there, as soon as she was she broke the news she was pregnant. As Alanna ran from the room, Randy went after her, hoping to calm her down. When he hadn't returned ten minutes later, John went in search of the pair.<p>

It had been as much of a shock to Randy as it had to Alanna, though he wasn't upset over it. Sam and he had been over a long time ago. The pair sat in what turned out to be Alanna's former room, all of her belongings boxed up in the spare room. Randy told her not to get herself anymore upset and that they'd arrange for her boxes to ship down to Florida so they'd arrive once they were back.

When she was calmer, Randy disappeared downstairs to let Sam know what their plans were for the boxes as well as their week in St Louis. Sam didn't respond with any interest and just as Randy was about to give up and suggest he and John head over to his parents, Neil asked for a word with him.

The much smaller of the two men had attempted to threaten Randy, telling him if he wanted to be able to have a polite conversation with Sam, then he had better learn some manners. Randy had simply laughed and told him Sam had better learn not to lie. When Sam had overheard, all hell broke loose between the three of them, with John trying to play referee when he came downstairs.

John wasn't sure if Alanna had heard the arguing, if she did, she was too tired to mention it. Just as they were preparing to leave, Sam told Alanna she'd have to get her own dinner that night since they'd eaten while they were out. Randy had been on the ball enough to counter it by saying they were all going out for a meal with his family, so she wouldn't need to bother.

As they exited the car at Randy's parents, Nate greeted them, "The gay men are here, time to party."

"Not a chance, I'm exhausted, and John needs to eat," Randy said given a look to his partner as his stomach growled again. "Please tell me mom has something ready."

"I do," she commented as they entered the house. "Where's my granddaughter?"

"With her mom, you'll see her tonight at the meal," Randy said enveloping him mom in a hug. "I've missed you."

As soon as Randy finished his hug, John was neck in line, his stomach growling the entire time.

"Dear god, my boy, have you eaten at all today?" Elaine commented to John though throwing a disappointed look to Randy.

"He gave me breakfast," John said pulling his puppy dog eyes. "Not a thing afterward. Not even when he got Ally something to eat."

"Yeah, I regret that, we ended up in an argument anyway," Randy said sitting at the counter as his mom dished up some plates of food for them. "Where's dad?"

Randy let the lack of a response slide since his mom gave them their food. He hadn't realised he was just as hungry as John until he finished it before his partner. Within minutes, he was up on his feet, rummaging through the kitchen cupboards for something to fill his stomach. Settling on a large bag of chips and pinching the dip from the fridge, Randy started munching.

"You remember that news we found out not so long ago; I'm starting to wonder if you might be in the same condition," John said eyeing Randy eating the chips.

"That would take a miracle... on two counts," Randy said, amused by John's words before closing the distance and kissing him.

"You can stop that if you're in this house," a stern voice said from the doorway.

"Hey dad," Randy greeted his dad.

"You hear Sammy's news?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, just found out, when she told Al she'd been moved out of her room into the spare," Randy said shaking his head. "Sam told you before Al?"

"She just gave me a call," Bob explained. "She said you two caused some trouble when you were there."

"Of course she did, because she's a liar," Randy bit. "All these years I've wondered why Al grew further away from John and I and it's because her mother has been telling her we were having an affair."

"You were," Bob said as though it was the truth.

"No, dad, it isn't," Randy said through gritted teeth. "John and I waited until the divorce went through. I wouldn't disrespect Sam like that."

"You said you kissed-"

"On two occasions, five years apart, that's not an affair," Randy snapped. "An affair is having sex every chance you get."

"Randy," John soothed trying to calm his partner down. "Don't get wound up. It's Christmas and we came here to celebrate with family."

Randy swivelled round on his stool to speak with John, maybe even give him a kiss, just to wind his dad up. He leant in and John placed a finger on his lips, smiling, as his phone rang. When he saw a local number, he knew he had to take the call.

"I'll be right back," John said standing up and heading out into the yard.

"Have you started that business yet?" Bob asked as he drank a cup of coffee.

"The business plan has been written. I need to go into the back and open up a business account, then start locating for the right premises," Randy explained. "I was thinking about going a little old school with it."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, everywhere these days is up to date, modern looking. I thought about having three or four practice rings and some mats," Randy explained. "I want to teach them the basics, and then run an advanced class right after."

"I reckon that's sound, you going to teach them ring psychology?"

Randy nodded his affirmation as he ate some more chips, his stomach feeling empty again. "I wanted to get a couple of guys I worked with but a lot of them are busy with other projects or still working on the road. I'm not sure who to speak to about it. I was thinking about having sessions around promos as well, do you think it's worthwhile?"

"You want to be careful. You were talking about having links with the performance centre," Bob said. "They deal with that."

"Yeah, but the guys and girls who go there already have the basics down. I was thinking more along the lines of teaching them those basics," Randy explained. "Enough to get them noticed by WWE, hell TNA even, if that's who they choose to go with."

"What about getting them experience?"

"Do you two ever stop talking about the business?" Elaine asked walking back in. "You've even made John disappear."

"He's in the yard on the phone," Randy said in his defence. "Besides Dad was the one asking me about the wrestling school. Technically it's my job, or it will be, what else you want us to speak about?"

"So what do you think about Sam's news?" Bob said to his wife.

"I'm happy for her, but it doesn't concern us," Elaine said. "Sam has severed ties with this family; at least everyone but you."

"Regardless, she's a member of this family since she's Alanna's mother," Bob said. "I bet she's excited."

"Shocked I'd say," mumbled Randy. "Not the first thing you expect to hear when see someone for the first time in six months."

"She'll be excited when she gets use to the idea, you took a while," Bob said as John entered from the yard.

"Yeah, but I was three, four years old," Randy said chuckling. "Not sixteen. That was a long phone call," he said pulling John into his side.

"Last business phone call this side of Christmas. I wanted an update about Hard Knocks," John said without offering further information.

"And..."

"Nothing's changed," John shrugged avoiding the topic and Randy's gaze.

* * *

><p>Randy's hand slid down his body as he reached to take hold of his aching cock. It was early and he knew John's body had caused its usual reaction during the night, but god he felt extra hard this morning. As his hand hit an obstruction, he truly woke up. John was already giving him one of Christmas presents.<p>

"Mm, Merry Christmas me," Randy said chucking the light sheet off their bodies, watching John work his magic.

John continued working Randy's cock up and down with his lips and tongue, taking his time, not even stopping to say good morning. Randy wasn't far off cumming when John woke him, so he knew he wouldn't last much longer.

"I love it when you take your time, watching my cock slide in and out of your mouth," Randy smirked. "Get ready for your first Christmas present."

Randy bucked his hips up as John worked his cock increasing the pressure, causing Randy to spill his load, "Fuck John, fuck."

John pulled off his cock and worked his way up Randy's body, kissing him quick. Randy moaned, tasting himself on John's tongue.

"Merry Christmas, darling," Randy smiled at his lover, breaking into a laugh.

"What?" John asked bemused at Randy's reaction.

"Apparently," Randy said swiping his finger along John's lip, "you were saving some for later." He fed the remainder of his cum to John who made a show out of licking the finger clean. "Any left?"

"Nope," John said. "Now where's my Christmas present?"

"Wow, you think you can stand me to give you a-"

"Maybe later," John chuckled. "I mean my actual present."

"We agreed we'd exchange when we were with Al," Randy said pulling John from the bed and heading to the bathroom to have a shower. "In the meantime, I'm going to give you another kind of present."

"Yeah, what's that?" John said wrapping his arms around Randy's neck as they backed into the small room. "Am I going to like it?"

"Oh you will, I'll make sure of that," Randy said lifting John from his feet and kicking the door closed.

* * *

><p>After sharing a Christmas breakfast in their hotel room, John and Randy hopped in their rental car and made their way over to Sam's house to pick up Alanna. They'd seen Alanna all but one day so far, and from the sounds of what he'd heard, her mom was more interested in the new baby than she was spending time with Alanna. Randy had tried to persuade her to stay with her mom for Christmas day, giving up when she started playing the 'don't you want me around' card.<p>

Randy had called her as they set off so they wouldn't need to go in. He wanted to be congenial but after the other day, he didn't want to risk setting off another argument, especially on Christmas day.

"Can you make a promise to me," Randy said looking at John as they sat waiting for the light to change.

"What's that?"

"You won't disappear on us today," Randy said giving him a look. "You've disappeared for an hour or two nearly every day since we've been here. The first day I thought you were getting me a Christmas present, but then it kept happening. Either I'm difficult to buy for or something's going on."

John laughed at Randy's comment before elaborating, "You are difficult to buy for. But I love you for it."

They pulled up at the house and Alanna practically ran out, yelling back at Sam and Neil to have a good day. She jumped into the car with a large bag.

"Merry Christmas Sweetheart," Randy smiled back at his daughter as she put her seatbelt on.

"Merry Christmas, are we heading to Gran and Granddad's?"

"Yep, your Gran is cooking, even went as far as to ban me from the kitchen before I try and take over," Randy said. "She's naturally banned John as well, for other reasons of course."

"I'm thinking of not giving you a Christmas present at this stage," John said. "And I've spent hours every day this week finding the right one."

"So it really was that I'm difficult to buy for?"

"Yes, you have particular taste when it comes to this type of item," John commented. "And we have to make a stop or two before we head to your grandparents. I hope you don't mind Ally, but it's a joint present."

"That's fine, are you only buying it today?"

"You'll see what's going on," John commented.

He drove for about twenty-five minutes until they were in the Clayton area of St Louis with Randy and Alanna chatting along the way. Alanna was telling her dad about the couple of presents she got from her mom and the one from her other grandparents. The presents were nice but John noticed the lack of sparkle in her eyes.

He'd been thinking about his present for a long time but he wanted to give them both a choice. When he pulled up the street, he knew Randy was puzzled, as was Alanna. He hoped that once they got inside, they would like it.

"Okay, please keep an open mind when you see this. It's taken a while to find the right one, but in the end, I think I got there."

"What are you talking about?" Randy asked puzzled.

John chuckled and reached over to turn Randy's head so he could look at the Georgian style house by which they parked.

"Again," Randy said warily. "What are you talking about?"

"I know you've often wondered if life would be simpler if we lived here in St Louis. We'd be nearer your family. You wouldn't have had the distance between you and Alanna as she was growing up," John said taking his hand gently. "We've discussed it in the past and I've been thinking a lot lately, a hell of a lot, with the Hard Knocks unlikely to stay in business, you starting a business, maybe this would be a good time. Ally I've thought of you in this as well. I know you chose to move to Florida; however, I think you were happier when you were here with your family around. You can still live with us, but you can see your mom whenever you like, as well as your grandparents, your friends."

"What about JC's?" Randy asked trying to catch John out.

"It's thriving, I can run the business from here, and we can always vacation to Florida in the school holidays. Plus, I could find a location for another gym, maybe relocate Hard Knocks here," John said with a shrug; he'd thought it all through. "Look why don't you at least take a look at the house."

"How the realtor won't be working today and the owners-"

"It's vacant and the realtor entrusted me with the number of the key box," John said pulling them both along to look.

John unlocked the house and let them take in both entry rooms. The decor was dated, he'd guessed the previous owners were looking to match the age of the house, but it was something they could easily fix to their tastes. So far, the reaction hadn't been great, or anything near what he expected.

He hoped as he took them around the house their excitement would grow. As John showed them the first room, a drawing room, which sat off from the kitchen, he wondered if they just didn't like the house.

"John, at the end of the day, you know I like to have a kitchen and family room in one, if this is the layout-"

"You think I didn't remember that," John said raising an eyebrow at Randy. "Come on, take a look."

He pulled Randy behind and Alanna followed. It matched Randy's requirements perfectly. The kitchen space, though laid out differently to their home in Florida, was the same and it opened out into the same size again for the family room, with a television over a fireplace.

"Plus, for me, the laundry room is right off the kitchen, so I can still steal a kiss as you cook breakfast," John said quietly to Randy.

"Still heard you," Alanna said walking by, looking around the kitchen.

"How many bedrooms does it have?"

"Technically seven," John said.

"Seven!"

"Technically; there's a carriage house, which made me think. No doubt, Cody and Ted will still stay over when they're in town. We can let them have a key to that place so they can come and go as they please," John explained.

"How many of the bedrooms are in the carriage house?" Alanna asked.

"Two," John said with a smirk. "But I expect they'll only be using one from now on."

"What do you mean?"

"John," Randy warned giving him a look.

"Oh... they... when did that happen, you said they weren't a couple," Alanna said going a little pink at the news.

"I think only recently," Randy said. "Okay, so it meets my need, as long as there's an en suite on the master bedroom."

"There is, and the bathroom is as big as ours," John continued about the house, taking a hint from Randy. "And Ally, the bedrooms are bigger, so you'd have more space here."

"My room's already big enough how much more space can it have," she said.

"Go have a look, I was thinking yours could be the first on the left," John explained.

Randy continued looking around the kitchen and John followed alongside him, "What do you think of it?"

"Nice but extravagant," Randy commented glaring at John. He took his hand and led them out to the patio. "Tell me why you think I wanted this?"

"You miss your family," John said resting against the trellis.

"You miss yours, doesn't mean you want to move back to West Newbury."

"I was thinking about Ally as well, she was happier here," John said defending his decision.

"Yeah, but I have friends in Florida, plus sunshine all day every day, near enough," she said joining them on the patio. "The size of those bedrooms could make me change my mind, though."

John shook his head as he laughed and Randy joined in, moving over to join him where he stood, "I love that you wanted to do this for us. Truth is though, as much as, yes I miss St Louis and my family. I have the only family which matters in Florida, and as long as Al is happy there, then I see no need to change."

Randy looked over at his daughter for confirmation and she nodded, "I'm happy."

"Okay, okay, no moving to St Louis, can I show you my back up present," John said.

"Is it another house?"

"...sort of. I had a niggling feeling that the two of you might pull something like this," John said tugging on Randy's hand.

They got back in the car and John drove back the way they came into St Charles. The other property he found was actually his favourite of the two, making him think it was to be. He'd found the place before the house in Clayton. It was a lot smaller and only ten percent of the cost of the house, but it would be perfect for what he had in mind.

"If you don't want to live in St Louis permanently, then during the school breaks we're going to be vacationing here and I'm not staying in a hotel with you sulking because you can't cook," John said. "So I found this, which I know both of you will love. Again, Ally you can stay here or at your mom's, which is obviously a lot closer than the other house, plus you'll be able to get to your friends easier as well."

"Can we see it first before you go making plans?" Randy said, this time he was the one pulling John along.

"Is he always like this when he gives you a Christmas present?" Alanna asked going ahead of them when they entered the house. "I'm taking a look upstairs."

Randy pulled John straight through to the kitchen to check the room out. "You've outdone yourself, darling. It's gorgeous."

Randy went out on the patio to look outdoors. Although it was open with the surrounding houses, they were spaced apart enough that it was still private.

"There is one problem with this place," John said walking up to Randy. "There's no closed in area out here for you and me to get it on."

"Mm, then you better show me the bedroom," Randy said pulling John tight to him. "Cause you and I will have to christen it when we move in."

"Does that mean you want this place?" John asked excited.

"As long as Al likes it, then, yes, I want it. But only as a vacation home, no moving here permanently," Randy said sternly. "Wipe that idea from your mind."

"Yes, sir," John saluted. "Let's go see if Ally likes it."

John started to head back into the house however; Randy held onto him and pulled him back against him. "You're going to get an extra special Christmas present tonight," Randy promised before sealing it with a kiss. "How about I give you an actual present to open now?"

Randy slipped an envelope from his back pocket handing it to John, "It's not as grand as a condo; however it does link in with the theme we seem to be setting."

John opened the envelope and slipped out the folder with the tickets in. Three open tickets from Tampa to Boston to use anytime in the next year.

"You miss your family as much as I do, so I thought we could go up and see your brothers at some stage. Whenever suits you," Randy said with his hands on John's hips.

"Thank you," John said smashing his lips to Randy's "I love you for this."

"Who wouldn't, I'm an amazing boyfriend."

* * *

><p>"Hey button," Cody, said stepping into Ted's arms. "I've missed you today."<p>

"How was Dustin?"

"He's good, Dakota was there with her fiancé, and mom and dad of course," Cody said sighing as Ted held him just right. "I could stay in your arms like this all night."

"Are you staying over tonight?"

"If you want me to," Cody said as Ted led him into the lounge. He curled into Ted as they spread out on the couch watching television. "You know I only just managed to get away. My dad didn't understand why I wanted to go."

"What did you tell him?" Ted asked running his hands through Cody's hair.

"Mm, feels good," Cody murmured at the touch. "Told him I had an early start."

"Not tomorrow we don't," Ted, scolded him.

"What was I supposed to tell him, I wanted to leave because I was going to see my boyfriend?"

Ted didn't say anything in return, not knowing how to respond. He was still getting use to Cody calling him his boyfriend; he didn't want to ruin it already but telling him off any further for lying to his father. Not that he could talk; he'd done the same. His father had wanted him to go to Clinton for Christmas and spend it with the family, but he didn't want to be that far away from Cody.

"By the way, there's something you haven't done yet," Cody said sitting up.

"What's that?" Ted said with a smile rivalling Cody.

"Not to sound like a spoilt child, but where's my present?"

Ted laughed at Cody; he was gorgeous in every way. Cody was fast becoming what John was to Randy, only a lot more hyperactive.

"What if I said I hadn't bought you a present," Ted said seriously.

"I'd put you in a head lock and drag you out to the shops to buy me something," Cody said with a shrug.

"Aren't I glad I actually bought you something then," Ted joked going over to the tree in the corner and grabbing the only present left. "Just so you don't have to force my hand."

"Thank you, thank you," Cody said getting excited as he tore into the present. When he saw the present, he looked confused. "You bought me a picture of a dog?"

"Well you love dogs so much; you can have one on the road with you, now," Ted said getting up. "Do you want a drink?"

"Yeah, sure, a beer would be good," Cody, said trying to wrap his mind around the gift. He heard Ted moving about in the kitchen as he sat in front of the television. He was starting to think the gift he was giving Ted was too much. Sure, it was their first Christmas as a couple, but they'd been friends for years and had always gone all out.

"The shop named her Auburn, but I would imagine you'll be able to come up with a suitable, superhero related name for her," Ted whispered in his ear as he placed the Siberian husky puppy in Cody's lap.

Cody's eyes went wide as he took in the gorgeous white and auburn coloured puppy, "Did you really think I'd buy you a picture of a dog?"

"Well, it's our first Christmas together, oh, I can call her Rogue," Cody said excited. "You know out of X-Men."

"Yes, I know who you mean," Ted chuckled. He had to admit, as much as he teased him about it, he found Cody's obsession with the comics adorable. "Did you hear from Randy earlier, about what John bought him and Ally for Christmas?"

"Yeah, the condo, I know, talk about made of money," Cody said playing with the puppy. "He sent me a link to the house he was going to buy them if they moved there."

"Apparently there would have been space for all your comics and more, according to Randy," Ted joked while joining in with Cody.

"Ted," Cody said getting serious.

"Yes."

"Can Rogue be ours? Not just mine," Cody said. "I want us to have something together. I know things are still fairly new between us, but even if things weren't to work out, I know we'd still be friends and we'd want to still have something together."

"I think that's a great idea," Ted said kissing him. "And Codes, I'm not going anywhere. However, right now, it's getting late, and I think this puppy needs to get some sleep, as do you. You've had a long drive from Dustin's house."

"Let me put Rogue to bed," Cody said. "Is the utility room okay?"

"That's where I have her set up for the night."

Cody disappeared through the kitchen and tucked his new puppy in for the night. She was gorgeous and he couldn't wait to take her on tour with him as soon as she was able. He was already thinking of asking John and Randy to look after the puppy until then. Right now though, he still had his present for Ted, and he was nervous as well.

"Button, are you ready to go upstairs?"

"Yeah, let me switch the lights off on the tree."

The pair made their way up to the bedroom hand in hand, happy to spend a small amount of time together on Christmas day. However, the closer they got to the room, the more Cody's nerves were kicking in. He wanted to do this, but he was scared of the possible rejection from Ted.

Once they changed into their pyjama bottoms, and resting on the bed, Ted rolled onto his side so he could start kissing Cody. They both took their time to say goodnight, as Ted's hand slid across the muscled chest of Cody and down to his chiselled abdomen. Cody ached for him to go further as his tongue stroked against his. His own hands sort out Ted's firm body, reacquainting from the previous night. He knew Ted could feel his erection as Ted pressed his leg against it.

He moaned into Ted's mouth as he felt the full weight of Ted lying on top of him. Cody pulled his free leg up, hooking it around Ted's waist as his boyfriend started grinding against him. Ted grabbed his leg and they held on to each other as they started pressing against one another. He knew this is where Ted would stop, as soon as Cody broke away to moan, needing oxygen in his lungs as he was pushed nearer to climax.

Sure enough, Ted stopped, apologizing for not stopping earlier. Cody didn't know if Ted wasn't ready or if he just didn't want their relationship to go that far. He also worried if Ted thought he'd want to be the one to... which he kept telling himself was a crazy thought, Cody was happy to let Ted be the 'top', at least he thought that was the right term. He was sure he'd inadvertently heard Randy use that term.

"Ted, button," Cody said a little short of breath. "I haven't given you my present yet."

"Don't worry, you can tomorrow, Codes," Ted said holding him loosely in his arms.

"No," Cody said turning around to face him. "I want to... tonight."

"Okay, where is it, downstairs?"

"No, it's... its right... right here," Cody, said letting his nerves in.

"What do you mean?"

"I... I'm your present," Cody said gulping silently. "I wanted to find you a present that would always remind you of this day, our first Christmas, but I couldn't. Then I realised. We've wanted to for a while. We've been going further every night and I want this. I want to feel you inside me."

"You do?" Ted asked shocked at the revelation. "I've been so worried you would want to, you know, the other way."

Cody couldn't help but laugh a little at Ted, for a couple who were about to have sex, they weren't very good at talking about it.

"Ted, I've been letting you take the lead since we started this. How could you think I would want to, you know," Cody said running a hand along Ted's muscled arms.

"You take the lead in the ring," Ted said.

"So does John. But unfortunately I know, damn near first hand, that that doesn't translate into the bedroom."

Ted pushed Cody back so he led on top of him again, "Can we not talk about them in _our_ bedroom."

Cody closed the distance before kissing Ted lightly, "Make love to me Ted."

"It'll be my pleasure... and yours."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: As previously mentioned, please review and spur me on to keep writing.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Trying to keep myself in the writing habit. Hope you enjoy the update. Don't forget I offer Centon oneshots for every milestone review. We're only 31 away from the next milestone, so the more of you who review, the quicker we get to the oneshot.**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"Make me feel it Honey," John moaned as Randy pushed slowly into him. "Make it so I'll feel it for the rest of the day."<p>

"I won't hurt you," he said kissing the back of John's shoulder. "I love you," he said placing another kiss on the opposite side. "I'm proud of everything you've accomplished."

"Randy, just make love to me," John said with a hitch to his voice.

Randy slowly thrust against John, making sure to keep things gentle. Regardless of what his lover told him, he wasn't about to cause him pain. He knew why John wanted it though; John knew he would go into an automatic mode later in the day when he closed Hard Knocks for the final time. He was signing over ownership of the land to the hotel chain.

It had been a tough few weeks for John after returning from St Louis when he had met with the remaining business owners. John explained to Randy what they discussed and in the end, ninety percent of those in attendance said the right thing to do was close up shop and relocate. John was one of the few who had disagreed, though reluctantly, without the remaining businesses in the area, he wasn't going to be able to survive.

John spoke with his lawyer and advised to them to strike a deal with the hotel chain. The following days had been long; John switched off, and spent most of the day curled up on the sofa watching television. Randy would keep him company as much as possible while working around everything that needed doing in the house.

"That's it Ran, right there," John moaned lightly squeezing a nearby pillow as Randy brushed against his prostate.

"Mm, Johnny, I know how you like it," Randy moaned, grasping at John's body as he swept away into the pleasure. "I've made you happy for the last thirteen years; I know everything about your body."

"God yes," John cried.

"I know where to touch you, the right about of pressure," he said thrusting a little harder, causing John to cry out in pleasure as he proved his point. "I even know when you want me to get a little dirty with you, and make you my slut."

"Yes, do it," John's moans continued as Randy picked up the pace.

Randy pulled him so he was knelt up, sat back on Randy as he thrust up into John.

"I'll give you a reminder that I fucked you, but I refuse to give you any pain," Randy whispered in John's ear. "There'll only ever been pleasure between us, darling."

Randy gripped John's hips and thrust hard into him, hoping to give John enough pleasure to forget, even for a short time, about the plans for the day. When John grasped Randy's head and pulled him around to kiss him, mimicking Randy's movements with his tongue, and moaning into the kiss, Randy grabbed John's cock and stroked.

The affect was almost instantaneous and John was calling out, his grip on Randy becoming almost painful as he dug his fingers into his skin. He hit his climax and shot into Randy's hand and across the bedding. John collapsed back against Randy as he reached his own orgasm, shooting deep within John.

"Shit. Fuck. Shit," John swore as Randy lowered him to the bed and went to fetch a cloth from the bathroom.

"Stop swearing," Randy laughed as he returned to John, cleaning his lover up as his cum slipped from John. "You need to have a shower."

"Join me," John said rolling onto his back. "I could stand to go another round."

"Well, in that case," Randy said yanking on John's arms to pull him from the bed, a smirk playing on his lips. "I think you can have a shower alone while I cook breakfast."

"Miser," John said pecking him on the lips before turning serious. "What did Ally want earlier? You were talking in hushed voices."

"Al wanted me to tell you she hopes it goes okay," Randy said with a sigh, wishing he could have kept John's mind from thinking on the matter for a while longer.

"Oh."

"Go shower, I'll have breakfast waiting when you come down with the sheets," Randy said placing a kiss to his temple.

"Wait, why the sheets? I only washed them yesterday," John asked puzzled.

"You got them messy," Randy said winking at his lover.

Randy was determined to make the day as normal as possible and not let John dwell on the negatives. He knew John would be okay. When he made it to the kitchen, his phone was chiming constantly with messages. When he opened the first one, then the second, and third his smile grew. He knew he could count on them.

Wanting something quick and easy for breakfast, Randy grabbed some eggs and set scrambling them while he put the toast on to cook. Just as he was dishing up John came down and dumped the sheets in the laundry room for later giving Randy a dirty look.

"Hey, I can't help it you put dark sheets on. If they were white, we could've got away with it for another day. Especially since I plan on being nice to you again later," Randy said pulling John in so he could grind their hips together.

"I hate to tell you this, horny honey," John said making Randy chuckle at the name. "I know I won't be in the mood later."

Randy let John escape from his loose hold and he followed him over to the table where they sat peacefully eating breakfast.

"You're coming with me later aren't you," John asked sounding unsure.

"No power on this earth could stop me from being there for you," Randy said taking John's hand in his.

"Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"Not today you haven't," Randy said with a smirk. "Pretty sure you said it yesterday."

"Randal Keith Orton," John said moving to sit on his lap. "I love you. Until death do us part and beyond."

"No need to get sappy," Randy said swatting John's ass.

* * *

><p>Randy pulled onto the road where the gym was as John shifted relentlessly in his seat. He felt it was stupid that John was dressed in a business suit just so he could sign over the deeds to the property. He would never come to gym in these clothes, yet for some reason as soon as it was business; he insisted on wearing a suit.<p>

He spotted a van in the parking lot and figured Rob had arranged it to take the gym equipment into storage.

"Is that Ted's car?" John asked, spotting the familiar vehicle.

"I guess he's here for moral support," Randy said with a shrug.

He pulled into the usual space and put the car in park. John didn't move from his seat, instead just hanging his head in shame. He'd never given up on anything before and while yes, there would be other possible locations for Hard Knocks, he felt like this was the end of the business.

Randy took his hand, squeezing gently to show his support. John loved him for knowing when he needed to talk and when he wanted to get lost in his own thoughts. Randy made a gentle tugging motion and John reluctantly stepped out of the car. As he did, he saw another familiar car arrive. Cody. _If he were coming, why didn't he arrive with Ted? _

John watched silently as Ted went over to the car and greeted Cody with a small kiss and then in astonishment he saw Alanna hop out of the passenger side waving to John and Randy. When John made it round to Randy, his lover slung a supportive arm around his shoulders, pressing his lips to John's temple.

"Al wanted to be here to help support you. I wasn't leaving your side today so I asked Cody to pick her up," Randy explained quietly.

Randy spotted a small smile cross John's face at thought of his friends and family being there for him. Randy knew it was a day John had never thought would come, which made it even worse for him. When Alanna reached the pair, John pulled her into a tight hug and whispered a thank you to her. As he held her, his body stiffened when yet another car arrived. The one he didn't want to see.

"I left the documents in the car," John said suddenly snapping into business mode. Randy stopped John and went to the car to grab them.

"Mr. Cena, I presume," the first suit said holding his hand out to shake with John. "I know this was a hard decision for you to make but my client is very glad you did."

"I'm sure," John said politely shaking hands.

"In the long run it's for the best. All of the remaining businesses are falling into line and with the packages-"

"No disrespect intended, but I don't need to hear the spiel. It's only going to make me feel worse, knowing that other companies are closing because of I went along with it," John said cutting the man off from his well-prepared words.

John shifted, uncomfortable with the situation, wishing he could make everything go away.

"Listen, I don't want to interrupt," Randy commented, doing just that. "Why don't we move this inside? If there are any last minute customers, you can go in the office. John, it would be better than signing everything in the car park."

John shrugged, no longer interested, "Fine, if that's okay with you guys."

The suits nodded and John turned on his heel. The entrance to the gym was on the far side of the building, opening onto a courtyard for the other businesses. Randy walked alongside him, taking his hand again for support. John gave him a weak smile to show his support.

As they grew closer, John could hear some chatter and he figured it were some of the other owners milling around. He knew he was the first in line, from what he'd heard the others were signing later in the week.

They rounded the corner and John stopped dead in his tracks. The large garage style door to the gym was open and all of his gym members, NXT superstars, WWE superstars, divas, their families, and many others he didn't recognise were moving between his business and the remaining businesses on the block.

Walking up to Rob, who was in discussion with Roman Reigns, John was lost for words, "What... I don't understand, what's happening?"

"Why don't you ask him," Rob said pointing behind John to Randy.

Ted, Cody, and Alanna stood smiling at the scene, happy at the turn out for the day and at John's shock, while Randy leant against the side of the building with a smug look on his face.

"What have you done?" John said making his way over to Randy.

"When you weren't feeling yourself after the meeting and making the call," he explained with a shrug. "I made some phone calls of my own. I convinced everyone who has a business here to contact their customers and bring them here. I then did the same with everyone on tour, pulled in numerous favours via Ted and Cody. Told them to get their asses here and bring along their friends, families, and the crew. So much business can come into the area via your connections alone. Unfortunately you all become single-minded fools who only focus on their workout."

"You can do something as amazing as this, but you go and throw in an insult like that at the end," John said quirking an eyebrow at Randy before kissing him. "As amazing as this is though, it doesn't change anything. It's one day."

"Why don't you talk to the other owners before you make a final decision," Randy said running a hand over John's short hair. As John went to walk away, Randy grabbed him by the arm. "Can you get rid of the suit though? It's too hot."

"Stop checking me out," John said, his humour gradually returning.

"I meant the weather, darling," Randy said before whispering, "I saw everything else this morning."

John removed his suit jacket handing it over to Randy before making his way around the courtyard. Since he originally moved in nearly twenty years ago, the area was just warehouses. Now it had turned into a small hub of businesses and a mismatch of shops. He made his way through the throng of people, stopping to chat and receive well wishes for the future.

The more people he spoke to, the more he could see that Randy had done. He wasn't sure when Randy had made all of the phone calls and put people in contact with one another, but somehow his partner in crime had worked his magic and from the conversations he had with different shops, if the trend continued, and word continued to spread, they could be bringing in nearly double their previous earnings. Yes, they could still take a one off payment and relocate, however they would have to build up a new customer base and spend money on new advertising. In the long term, they were better off staying where they were and making a go of it. The hotel owners couldn't force them to sell their property.

"So what do you think, John?" Alanna asked linking their arms together.

"It seems everyone is reconsidering their options," John said giving her a sideways look. "Did you know he was working on this?"

"I helped him."

"I'm going to have to watch you two like a hawk," John said laughing with the girl, he considered a daughter.

John looked back over to where Randy still stood, though now he was engaged in conversation with a few of the wrestlers from the tour. He also spotted the two suits, which were representing the hotel, looking agitated, tapping their feet, and checking their phones.

"Come on, I need to let the hotel down gently," John said leading Alanna over to the two men. "Gentlemen, I think-"

"Mr Cena, we understand everyone is rallying around, however we had an agreement," the spokesperson for the pair stated.

"I know, and I'm a man of my word," John said solemnly.

"John?" Randy queried stepping up alongside him, only for John to hush him for a moment.

"However, on this occasion, I realise I've made a grave mistake. Please accept my humble apologies. This property is not for sale and although you will need to have individual conversations with my business neighbours, I think it's safe to say, no one will be selling today, or anytime in the near future," John said holding his hand out for the suits to shake.

Instead of being civil and taking John's offered hand, the two men turned heel and walked back to the car park. A few short minutes later, John and Randy heard the screeching of tiles as they left the premises.

"Do you want dinner at mine tonight?" Ted offered as soon as they finished laughing at the retreating men.

"You mean I won't need to cook?" Randy asked with mock astonishment.

"Asshole," Ted mumbled walking away with a smile.

* * *

><p>"I should have brought a couple bottles of wine," John said as they approached the front door to Ted's house.<p>

"They said they had beer, why would we need to bring wine?" Randy asked amused at John's concerned face.

"It's only right. We're guests for dinner," John said with a shrug, turning to the door when he heard scratching. "Is that the dog doing that?"

"Cody said she was a cutie-pie," Alanna commented, looking up from the book she had in her hand. "Is it right for a grown man, even Cody, to use the term cutie-pie?"

"John called you a cutie-pie when he met you," Randy shrugged. "You better not have you head in that book all night. You're a guest here."

"I won't," Alanna, answered with a returning shrug.

When Ted or Cody didn't answer the door after they knocked twice, Randy tried the door, finding it unlocked. When Randy didn't go in immediately, John indicated for him to go in, nudging him from behind.

The puppy greeted them immediately and Alanna bent down to scoop her up into her arms for a cuddle, with Rogue licking Alanna's face in excitement. Having been to Ted's house on previous occasions with John and her dad, Alanna led the way into the kitchen figuring they'd find Ted and Cody, but they weren't there.

Having thought she heard Ted's voice in the dining room, she walked down the corridor with her dad following up behind. She opened the door while trying to keep the dog in her arms, as she was getting fidgety. Before she could step through the door to greet Ted and Cody, her dad slammed the door closed and had a hand across her eyes to block her view.

"Dad, what the-"

"Just go that way," he said turning her around on the spot and sending her back down the corridor. She heard a commotion in the dining room a couple of swear words followed by the door opening again. She couldn't help but look back to see what was going on.

"Randy, hey um, you're here," Ted said straightening his shirt. He stepped to the side slightly and she spotted Cody in the dining room without a top, buttoning his pants.

"Oh. Oh god, gross," she yelled, the situation suddenly hitting her.

"What's going on?" John said appearing from the kitchen.

Alanna could feel her face heating up in embarrassment. "Get her out of here," her dad called sounding both amused and happy. "Anything else you want my teen daughter to see?"

"I don't want to eat at that table... ever," she said to John as he led her away.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed and please review and let me know what you think :)**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: I think people are still enjoying the story. I don't get many reviews these days but I still seem to get the number of people reading. Just remember, the more reviews, the sooner you get to a freebie oneshot.**

**Hope you enjoy the latest chapter :)**

* * *

><p>"What, did they get another new car?" Ava asked as they walked up the driveway to Alanna's home.<p>

"No, I don't recognise it," Alanna said with a shrug. "I guess they've got some friends visiting. It might be Ted and Cody."

"You said your dad's out later, are we still on for a girls' night in?" Ava asked.

"Umm, yeah I guess, I don't know how long they're out though," Alanna said. "It may not be late."

"Well, whatever, as long as they don't start fuck-"

"Ava, can you not remind me of that every chance you get," Alanna said stomping ahead. "It's not like I need to be reminded."

"Whatever, later," Ava called as Alanna headed into the house.

As much as she liked seeing Ted and Cody, she didn't wanted to be able to spend some time by herself and prepare herself for the evening, if she could even get her dad to agree to it. He tried his hardest to cover it up, but she knew he didn't like her friends.

"I can't believe this, you come into my home and start insulting my partner," Randy yelled in the kitchen.

Alanna sighed; she thought they were over the arguing. Since Christmas, it had been a happy household. No arguing, just the odd terse word that she put down to her and her dad having different opinions on things because of the different generations. It was no different from her dad disagreeing with her grandfather.

"I'm your father; I can tell you whatever I like."

She was about to head upstairs when she heard her grandfather return her dad's shouting.

"When I ask for advice, you can tell me what you think. You don't come into my home and tell me I'd be better without John as my partner," Randy snapped.

Alanna headed for the kitchen, taking a deep breath before stepping in and letting them know she was there. She stood in the doorway and saw John and her grandmother sat on the couch watching the two men screaming at each other.

"Bob," Elaine stood up and stepped between them. "Randy is right. You think I didn't have reservations when they showed up at the house holding hands."

"What?" Randy asked in astonishment.

"Come on Randy, it was a little bit of a shock," Elaine said. "But don't think you're getting off lightly. You don't speak to your father like that. He's still your father."

Alanna didn't want to listen to the arguing anymore and stepped into the kitchen far enough they'd see her, "Hey, this is a surprise."

Alanna saw the tension subside though it didn't totally disappear. Her dad especially was trying to contain his anger. She didn't like to see him upset after they'd all worked so hard to keep their family happy. As Alanna greeted her grandparents, John went to her dad's side and tried to calm him. Randy was still struggling with his temper and disappeared out the back door and she saw him head for the outside stairs to the bedroom balcony.

As she hugged her grandfather, she caught John's eye line and he shook his head letting her know that her dad wasn't right.

"Umm, I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a moment," Alanna said finding a reason to go see her dad.

She ran upstairs and instead of heading to her bedroom, she went down the opposite corridor and knocked on the master bedroom door.

"What?" Randy mumbled in reply.

She opened the door and slipped in heading over to the bed where her dad lay with his arm over his face.

"I didn't know they were coming down to visit," Alanna said trying to make conversation.

"That makes three of us. It was a surprise visit," Randy said letting his arm fall from his face. Alanna could see the emotions brimming beneath the surface. She moved in close and curled into her dad's side giving him a hug.

"Did you guys have an argument?"

"I know you would have heard," Randy said smoothing her hair. "I'm sorry; you didn't need to hear that."

"I didn't hear the actual argument, just you and granddad yelling," Alanna commented, regretting it straight away, she didn't want to make her dad feel worse. "What was it about?"

"It was a disagreement."

"I gathered that," Alanna said chuckling, trying to cheer him up. "Why do you insist on hiding things from me? I'm not a little kid I'm sixteen years old."

Randy chuckled himself at that comment, "I know. You're a very mature girl as well. I worry sometimes that you're too mature. You shouldn't be shouldering the burdens of your parents."

Alanna lay there with her dad for a while, hoping his mood would pick up. Alanna could guess from a comment her dad made that the argument was about his relationship, but she wasn't sure.

"Is it-"

"You grandfather hasn't come to terms with my life choices, and he blames John," Randy offered as she started to push the matter.

"Why?"

"Don't take this the wrong way but, why did you?" Randy said with a shrug. "If you don't want to accept it, it's easier to blame someone who isn't family."

Alanna lay in her dad's arms as she took in the words. He was right. She had blamed John. Something she picked up from her mom. Although she found it difficult to admit, she believed them when they told her their relationship didn't start as an affair. When you live full time with one parent, it's easy to full in line with their way of thinking.

She learnt as time went on, her dad didn't have the same outlook on life as her mom. He was laidback, trying to accommodate his loved ones needs, whereas her mom was always changing things to suit her own needs. That's why both parents were now in working relationships. They both had partners with similar mindsets.

Alanna didn't want to see her dad and grandfather at loggerheads as her grandfather would say. She'd seen at Christmas that whenever John and her father were caring toward one another that her grandfather griped about it. She wanted to help them sort it out so they could be one big happy family.

"Okay, I have an idea," Alanna said jumping off the bed and holding her hand out to her dad. "Come on."

"Al, I love you, but no," Randy said. "I'm not in the mood."

"You don't know what my idea is yet," she said heading out the room.

She ran down the stairs two at a time, tripping over her feet and thankfully landing in John's arms, "Ally, we all made a promise, no more trips to the ER. Your dad was scary enough for me."

"Sorry, sorry, can you drag dad downstairs, I have an idea to help him and granddad, and it'll help you as well," she said running from John toward the family room.

Her grandparents sat in front of the television once again not knowing she was there. Her grandma was looking sternly at her grandfather and she expected her grandma had told him off for his actions.

Determined to see her idea through, she went over to her grandmother and motioned for her to come into the kitchen and help her out. They moved the table so it was more central to the room and Alanna moved the chairs so there were two on each side with one more central.

She been covering communication and mediation at school in her business class and she figured she could use the skills to help her family. It should be the same skill set.

"Alanna what are you trying to do?" Bob asked as she dragged him to the table.

"Just sit there, please," she begged indicating for her grandmother to take the adjacent seat. As they sat down, John came in shaking his head. Her dad clearly wasn't coming down.

Not willing to give up, Alanna marched to the bottom of the stairs, put her hands on her hips, and hollered, "Dad, I'm giving you to the count of ten to get your butt downstairs, right now... One... two... three... four... five-"

Her dad came to the stop of the stairs, trying to hold back his laughter, doing a better job than John stood in the kitchen doorway watching.

"I wish I had a camera on me," John said chuckling at Alanna's actions.

"I'm wondering who the parent is," Randy said reaching the bottom. "I should also remind you not to speak to me like that please. What would you like?"

"Come on," she said grabbing his wrist and dragging him to the kitchen. She pushed him into the chair opposite her granddad. "Do I need to tell you where you're sitting John?"

John took his seat before she scolded him.

"Okay, dad, John, we've been through some crap since the summer and we're just getting to be a happy family, so I'm not going to let that get ruined," she said turning her attention to her grandparents. "Granddad, I understand you aren't happy that dad is gay and living with John-"

"I-"

"You have to let me finish, please," she whined trying to get him to hold off before he spoke. "This is going to be a chance for each of you to say what you want to say and move on from it. But you have to let each other speak and not interrupt."

"That's fine by me," Randy said as she looked at him.

"What about you Granddad?"

"Okay, fine."

"Okay, since you're the one who isn't happy, granddad, you can go first," she said.

Her grandfather shook his head at the situation; she thought he wasn't going to take part in the discussion, but thankfully, he took a breath and started speaking, "I'll give you this. You raised one hell of a mature daughter."

"Thank you," Randy said. "Sam had a large hand in it."

"Well, see, that's my first problem. You so say loved the woman. You obviously had feelings for her and were attracted to her; you wouldn't have been able to have a child otherwise. How can that change so abruptly? I would understand more if you were bisexual, not gay."

"Did you never wonder why there were no more children?" Randy asked rhetorically. "Dad, I wish I could give you an answer that would make sense, but I can't. When I met Sam, I WAS attracted to her. She was everything I dreamed of in a woman."

"So how can you go from Sammy to that," Bob retorted turning his nose up as he pointed to John.

"Dad, his name is John, don't-"

"Dad, please don't shout. And granddad you have to be polite as well," Alanna scolded both men.

"Yes, fine. But I'd like an answer, or at least for you to attempt to answer it," Bob said trying to remain calm.

Randy took a deep breath, looking toward John for support. John instinctively reached out with his hand, placing it on Randy's leg.

"The simplest answer I can give you, is, when John and I kissed for the first time, it awoke some dormant feelings in me, in both of us. Everyone has always tried to put the blame on John, but everyone forgets; he was going through the same thing."

"You're trying to tell me you've been gay your whole life but you didn't know it. That's a load of horse-hockey," Bob spat not believing what he heard.

Randy threw his hands in the air and pushed back from the table. How was he supposed to get his dad to believe him when every time he explained Bob threw it back in his face? "I've had enough of this. Al, I know you were trying sweetheart but I'm not sitting here and being insulted."

"Granddad you have to apologise," Alanna said quickly trying to get things back on track.

"Bob, apologise, he's your son," Elaine said helping Alanna.

Randy didn't stand straight away, waiting to see if his dad would be the bigger man and attempt to make amends. Although they talked for the sake of their family, nothing was ever cordial between them. His dad was always in contact with Sam and was the only thing he talked about when they spoke. He was never allowed to be affectionate with John if his dad was around, and god forbid he caught them kissing.

Bob folded his arms and took a deep breath. Randy almost mimicking him as he took his own breath, expecting the apology to follow, but nothing did. Randy just shook his head and silently left the kitchen, heading for the entryway, "I'm heading out for a drive."

"Do you want some company?" John called after him.

"No."

* * *

><p>Randy sat in the dark and dusty room imagining what it would be once they'd cleaned it out and set up the rings. Everything was slowly moving and he was looking forward to starting work on it. He and John had the schedule worked out and the following week they were going to get in here and clean up, check the lighting and facilities out, maybe give the walls a once over, and then get some contractors in to do any work necessary. Mostly the work he wanted to do was renovate the majority of the office space into changing rooms and trainer's facilities.<p>

The previous day he'd signed the paperwork and held the keys to his new business in his hands. He was ecstatic. When his dad had arrived earlier in the day, he couldn't wait to share the news and show his dad around. Now, he was concerned his dad would discredit the building and lecture him on rushing too quickly into the decision. It wouldn't matter that he agonised for weeks over this property and another.

"I suddenly realised the keys were gone," a deep but familiar voice echoed through the empty room. "You haven't been here the whole time have you?"

"No," Randy said quietly shifting where he sat to provide room for John.

"Where have you been?"

As John moved near Randy trapped John with his legs, wrapping them around his hips. When John looked down and then over to Randy, the smirk was one of amusement but clearly told Randy, he wasn't going to get away with anything.

"I went to the gym," Randy explained using his legs to draw John in closer. "Pretty sure Rob thinks we're having problems again since it's not very often that I go there without you. Dad was stressing me out; I went to let off steam."

"Let me guess, you worked on your legs," John said running his hands under Randy's shorts, enjoying the feel of his thigh muscles.

"Actually, I worked on my abs," Randy said. "Need to keep the six-pack in place."

"Honey, you've never had a six-pack," John said shaking his head.

"Want to count," Randy, said lifting his shirt to reveal John's favourite area.

"If you let me finish," John said eyeing up the area, letting his fingers travel over the skin. "You've always had at the very least an eight-pack, but that's not including what you hide under these."

John tugged at the waistband of Randy's shorts, toying with the idea of removing the shorts.

"Again, you can count them if you want," Randy said with a smirk. "You could even put that talented mouth to work while you're down there. It might top the idea of dragging you into one of the offices and bending you over the desk."

"I'm not about to distract you from your problems. The first of which is your dad," John said unclasping Randy's legs from his waist and stepping back folding his arms.

"Is there a second problem?"

"Yes; Ally."

"What's happened? She was fine when I left," Randy said confused.

"Yeah, then you left," John stated. "She was trying to help, and okay your dad is at fault as well, but you walking out just made Ally feel crap. She feels like she's made things worse than they were."

"Why didn't you call me and let me know?" Randy sighed.

"Check your phone Sherlock, I did," John snickered. "Anyway she wanted to have her friends around tonight, but I said it would probably be better if they went to one of the other girls considering your folks are here. I told her maybe another night, so say yes when she asks."

Randy jumped from his seat on the window ledge, dusted off his shorts, and then grabbed John's wrist on the way to the door.

"What would I do without you?"

"You'd probably be in jail by now."

"Fuck you."

"Not with your parents in the house."

Randy looped an arm around John and kissed him hard on the side of his head as they walked across the warehouse toward the exit. He was looking forward to next week when they started work on the room. In fact, he wished they could jump straight to next week so he didn't have to deal with his dad. It always made things worse when they caught the family between them during their disagreements. John was always getting cheap shots made at him, his mom tried to stay out of it finding it hard to take sides between her husband and son. Even Nate and Becky would leave the room if things started, neither one wanting to be roped in. Now it had become worse with Alanna caught in the middle.

"Did Al go out with her friends?"

"Not yet, but she will be, I think she'll be at Ava's house, I got lost as she was trying to explain it. It doesn't help that those girls dress so similar I can barely tell them apart," John said. "In fact, I could tell Nicole and Brie apart better than those girls."

"Everyone can tell the twins apart, Nikki got implants," Randy said shaking his head.

"I meant prior to that you idiot," John said slapping Randy's butt as they reached his car. "I'll meet you at home."

"Love you," Randy said kissing John quick before heading to his truck.

* * *

><p>Randy pulled into the garage spot beside John's car. He had to remind John to slow down in that car. He was too fast for his own good. As he entered the house, Alanna ran down the stairs shouting hi and bye in the same sentence before diving out the door.<p>

He went through to the kitchen and found John pouring everyone a coffee. John spotted him and looked at his watch with a smile.

"Boy racer," Randy mumbled, kissing him lightly on the head.

"You're in a loving mood, you keep kissing me like that," John said snaking an arm around Randy's waist so he couldn't get away.

"Did you agree a time for Al to get back?"

"Eleven, it's not a school night so I figured an hour extra wouldn't hurt. She's done her homework already."

"Okay," Randy said kissing him on the lips this time.

"Mm, I could get used to you kissing me so much," John said playing with Randy's shirt.

Randy looked over to the family area where his parents were watching the television, facing away from them. It was probably a bad idea but he couldn't resist. He cupped John's face before closing the distance and kissing him fully, keeping it soft. John let his hands run up Randy's back as they relaxed into the kiss. Randy pushed his tongue into John's mouth, teasing him slightly with his actions. He knew John was about to moan and he didn't want the moment ruined so he stopped teasing and went back to gently kissing without tongue.

He could have stood like that for hours, kissing his lover, letting it be nothing more than showing his love; but then a loud cough sounded from the other side of the kitchen counter.

"Come home eventually then," Bob, grumbled. "We came to visit then you both go out and leave us to babysit."

"Dad, Al doesn't need babysitting, she's sixteen, hell, in a couple of months she'll be seventeen," Randy snapped. "As for the two of us not being here, look in the mirror."

"Randal," his mom snapped from the family room.

"Fine, I'll be the bigger man and apologise," Randy said starting to grind his teeth in frustration. "Dad, I'm sorry you're a bigoted asshole who won't let his son be happy. Mom, I'm sorry you're married to him and it stops the two of us from spending time together. Please pass the same apology to Nate and Becky."

Randy stormed across the kitchen toward the entryway ready to disappear upstairs. He'd snapped. He knew he shouldn't have, but he was sick to death of defending his relationship to people or taking spiteful little comments, which weren't direct enough to class as harassment.

"Randal, get back here now," his mom called. Even without looking, he could tell that she'd stood up and was closing in on him. "I never want to hear you making those kinds of comments again. Understood?"

"Fine, for you I will," Randy said. "For John, Al, and everyone else I will. But not for him."

"Ran, honey, don't get wound up," John said coming over when he saw Randy getting red in the face.

His emotions were getting away from him, and the annoyance was rapidly becoming something else. Randy met John's gaze and stayed steely eyed. He didn't want to get like this, but his dad's disapproval, over any matter, was enough to send him to a bad place. John grabbed his face and rested his forehead against Randy.

"Listen. It's not worth it," John whispered, keeping it between the two of them.

"I can't keep doing this," Randy said, his tone softer than the look in his eyes. "I'm sick of trying to be someone I'm not."

"Hey, you and me both, I know you have a sixth sense when it comes to me. You know I'm feeling it as well," John soothed him. He could feel his parents eyes on them even with John trying to make it just them. "Even if this doesn't get resolved, in a couple of days, it will just be the three of us; you, Ally, and me. I'm not going to let anything else get you like this."

"Promise me," Randy whispered.

"I promise," John, said kissing him quickly. "I'll be your strength if you stay and talk this through to the end."

Randy took a deep breath and nodded; grateful he had John to bring him from those moments. "Love you."

"I love you too."

John locked eyes with him once more, the steeliness gone from Randy's eyes. Randy nodded at him and John stepped back, taking his hand for support before turning to Bob and Elaine.

"Here's the deal. This is our house. It's been tough going the last nine months and no one in this house wants anymore," John said squeezing Randy's hand. "Both of you are more than welcome to visit at anytime. Neither of us, however, will stop being who we are. If I want to kiss my boyfriend or vice versa, then we have a right to do so without snide comment from others."

Randy could see his dad trying to hold in his argumentative side, at least there seemed to be an improvement in respect of that.

"John," Elaine said calmly. "I appreciate your candidness. You're right; this is your house, not ours. I personally would like to see this backbiting come to an end. I've let it go on far too long, and not seeing my son as much as I would like means I haven't seen how much these comments get to him."

"Mom, it's not your fault," Randy said quietly trying not to look toward to his dad.

"It's not about who's to blame. Alanna was right this afternoon. We need to sit down and discuss this," Elaine said indicating the family room. "Now, John, you were making a coffee, how about we see if there's still some heat left in those drinks."

John, Randy and Elaine went over to the kitchen counter and rescued the drinks, thankfully there was enough heat left in them to drink. Randy out the machine on to reheat the remaining coffee and then they made their way to the family room. Elaine took the switch from Bob and turned off the television and for a moment, the four of them sat in silence drinking, John continuously holding Randy's hand.

Bob was the first to finish his drink and put his empty cup on the coffee table still agitated from the conversation.

"Okay, you've proven your point; my son's a poof, you can let go of his hand now," Bob snapped shaking his head. "When I met you John, I thought you were an okay guy. Into the business and all that, but then you went after my son."

"You make it sound like I tortured him until he agreed to be gay," John said remaining calm for Randy's sake. "It wasn't like that, sir. Randy and I were going through the same thing, at the same time. I can't speak for Randy, but on my side of things, during my discovery phase, there was one person who knew, and she didn't even know that Randy and I kissed."

"Dad, I didn't have anyone. I knew at the end of the day, if it were that bad I could have gone to John, but I didn't want him knowing that one kiss was causing me so much aggravation. At the time I didn't know he was feeling the same."

"So, tell us," Elaine said stepping in before Bob could say anything further. "You've told us it was a difficult time, but you've never given any detail. I mean, I don't think we need to know about any you've been-"

"Mom, no, I've never been with any other man, just John. That would be disrespectful, and I would never do that to Sam. She'd already been through enough thanks to me," Randy said before taking a deep breath. He let go of John's hand and sat on the edge of the seat. John's hand automatically flowed to his lower back and rested there, constant strength for him to borrow.

"I don't know what to tell you," Randy said with a shrug. "I mean, you know I didn't date much as a kid. Thanks to my big gob, the world knows I didn't lose my virginity when I was at school. I barely found any of the girls attractive."

"What about the boys?" his mom asked genuinely interested, trying to understand.

"I was always one of the lads. I don't think I was attracted to any of them," Randy commented. "I barely knew who I was back then."

"Randy, you told us you left the forces because you didn't like being ordered around. Was that true or did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened. Everything I told you was the truth," he ensured her. "In all fairness, as much as this is going to sound like Dad's right, everything started changing when John and I kissed."

"I concur, at least it did for me," John said with a small smile. "I sometimes look back at the times when we were in OVW and wonder was there ever a time we looked at each other a certain way or we had a moment. But I haven't been able to think of a single occurrence."

"Me either. The only times I've been able to think maybe, was when I used to search you out to tell you the news first. Like the engagement, setting a date for the wedding, Sam being pregnant, even Al being born. Over anyone else, including Mom and Dad, I wanted to let you know," Randy, said looking back at John.

"But he kissed you, not the other way around," Bob said pointing his finger at them.

"No. We kissed each other," Randy responded before John could answer. "Neither of us knew what to do. There was a day or two of avoidance and then we realised we didn't to move passed it. Not let our friendship end."

"When did you start considering you were gay?" Elaine asked stopping Bob from shooting another comment at them.

"Even after we agreed to move passed the kiss. It wasn't the same, at least for me. I couldn't sleep at night; the image of the two of us kissing kept playing over in my head. At first, I put it down to, I needed to go home and see Sam. As soon as I had her in my arms and I'd seen my family, it would be okay."

"But it wasn't," his mom said understanding where he was going.

"No, I was lying in bed, Sam in my arms sound asleep, and I was still thinking about the kiss," Randy said. "I think Sam was getting concerned at one point because the next day I wouldn't stop kissing her. I was desperately trying to wipe my mind of the kiss with John. No disrespect darling."

"None taken," he said with a smile, his fingers now playing with the bottom of Randy's shirt.

"By the time my two days at home were up and I was heading back to the tour, I was exhausted. Then when I got there, John was the first one I saw and he looked fine. It was annoying, actually. After an early show that week, a group of us decided to go catch a film at the cinema. I grabbed the seat by the wall; John was next to me, and then the others. Cramped seating, especially with a group of wrestlers, meant our legs were brushing against each other, but I finally fell asleep. You know I don't even remember which film it was," Randy said shaking his head at the thought. "After that I seemed to be fine."

"You can't honestly believe-"

"There were others things over the years. When I was on the European tour one year, we all went out for drinks. I was getting a round in, talking to this person at the bar; he slipped me his number on a napkin, which freaked me out. I was uncomfortable all night, worried someone had seen and would comment on it. We were working together at the time; I was more concerned you'd seen."

"It's all news to me," John chuckled.

"Did you go on any dates with anyone?" Elaine asked.

"No, not really, someone bought me a drink one time and we got talking. He tried to make a move but I was nowhere near ready for that. At that stage I was just accepting it was true," Randy explained.

"Alright, say I believe you," Bob interjected. "How could you be carrying on a relationship with Sammy when you were finding yourself?"

"Simple. I wasn't. Sam and I had sex maybe once every few months, always initiated by her and I had to find a way to-"

"We don't need the details," his mom said.

"Sorry," Randy said looking sheepish. He wasn't enjoying having this conversation with his parents, and especially with his lover sat next to him. It didn't help that no one had eaten yet. He wondered if Alanna had eaten before she left and if not hoped that she had something around Ava's house.

"So you led her on," Bob asked interrupting his thoughts.

"No. I wasn't ready to come clean to her but she knew something was going on. Obviously she didn't expect that," Randy commented.

"Okay, I know we've spoken about this before, but maybe your father needs to hear it," Elaine said. "How... and when... did the two of your become a couple."

"When I got the divorce papers in 2014, I went straight to John."

"How did you know he was as gay as you?" Bob said throwing his hands up as though he thought Randy was making everything up.

"Some point in 2011, I can't remember when, it must have been the first part of the year, or when we were all in town for a pay per view. Again, we were all out for a drink. I was more confident in myself by that point, I saw someone I liked the look of, I guess I was checking him out, and I saw John doing exactly the same with the exact same guy," Randy said. "Happy?"

"That doesn't explain why you would go straight to John."

"We started talking about what we'd each individually been through. I was on the SmackDown tour by then and things had calmed down. It was easier being around him," Randy explained. "We were able to hang out again, not feel pressured about one tiny moment."

"Again, I speak for myself, but I still had feelings for him, they never went away, obviously," John said with a shrug. "But it was more relaxed. We'd both matured. We were having drinks one night when I let it slip about my feelings. Randy said he felt the same. Neither of us wanted to hurt Sam, more importantly we were thinking of Ally."

"Eventually, our feelings came to a head in April 2012 and we kissed again," Randy said. "That was the first kiss I had after admitting to myself that I was gay, and it felt natural."

"We talked it through after that and a couple of months later, Sam made the decision Randy was struggling with," John said.

"That he didn't want to make, you were forcing him," Bob said.

"No, John isn't like that," Elaine stepped in talking sternly to Bob. "And you know that. Randy was struggling because he knew what the reaction would be."

"And because of Al," Randy added. "I hated the idea of her being part of a broken family. In the end, it's been better. It would have ended up with Sam and I always in screaming matches and both having affairs. That isn't the example I wanted to set my child."

Randy stood needing to stretch himself out. It wasn't enjoying the defensive nature of the conversation, John and his mom were right, it needed to be sorted but his dad had issues that weren't about to go away in one or two conversations.

He looked down at John and smiled. His lover was looking tired and he doubted he wanted to do much that night. It would probably end up being a night in front of the television. Randy was glad John had made the stand to his dad, at least that meant he could curl up with John in his arms. He didn't even worry if they fell asleep on the couch.

"I need a break. Is anyone else hungry or thirsty?"

"I'm hungry but not hungry," John, said his eyes half closed.

"Well I'm hungry, how about I cook us something," Elaine suggested.

"Mom, I was going to order us something to eat. No one should be cooking tonight. John and I will share something anyway. Do you two want a meal each?"

* * *

><p>John stretched out as they lay on the sofa watching the latest blockbuster just making it to the television screen. He'd lost track of the film since he'd been flicking in and out of sleep, but he wasn't worried. It was just nice to be able to finish the day in Randy's arms considering he didn't expect to when Bob and Elaine showed up.<p>

"Where's your mom?" John asked Randy quietly. "And dad for that matter."

"Gone to bed, sleepy head," Randy chuckled at John as he tried to wake up a little. "I've been waiting for Al to get back to me. She was supposed to be home half hour ago."

"She isn't home yet?"

"No, I'm getting worried," Randy said putting his cell phone to his ear again as he rang her a third time. Unfortunately, it rung out and eventually clicked in to voicemail. He didn't see the point in leaving another message.

"Why don't you ring Ava's house, see if she's still there, she may have her phone on silent," John suggested.

"I guess," Randy said, not believing it to be true.

Just as he was about to ring the number, they heard a crash outside the house. Going to the door, he heard hushed voices, which were still loud, loud enough to wake up his parents at any rate. He hoped they weren't so loud the neighbours would hear.

Randy opened the door just as Alanna was going to put her key in the lock and she fell through into Randy's arms, laughing loudly along with Ava who followed her through.

John came over and Ava went up to him and flung her arms around his neck, "You're big."

"And you're drunk," John stated simply. "Come on you better come in a moment while we call your mom."

"You mustn't tell," she whispered as though keeping a secret. "We each snuck some alcohol from home and we went to the park. Alanna brought some whiskey which was good, funny taste though."

"What did you bring?" John asked sitting her down on the sofa.

"Mom's wine," Ava said with a giggle.

"John, can you get mom, Al's not right," Randy called as he carried her into the room. Alanna had gone from Ava's state to almost passed out, her skin covered in sweat.

"I'm here, I heard the ruckus," Elaine said, following Randy. "Is she conscious?"

"Yes, but barely, Alanna can you hear me?" Randy asked kneeling in front of her. "Al?"

"Dad, don't shout," she moaned. "I don't feel well."

"John can you get me a jug of water and a large glass, a bowl would be good as well," Elaine ordered, slipping into her nurses training.

John grabbed a jug from the cupboard, filled it up with cold water, and grabbed two glasses to go with. It was probably best to get some water into Ava as well considering she was only marginally better than Alanna.

"Anything I can do?" Bob asked from the doorway.

"Prepare for hell to break loose tomorrow when she's recovered," John commented as he grabbed the phone off the counter. He needed to call Ava's mom so she could come and pick her up. "Randy's going to be mad when she's better."

"I'm going to be sick," Ava said from her spot on the couch.

"Bob, get her to the bathroom, now." Bob immediately launched into action. Clearly, he'd had practice at this bringing up three kids.

"Mom, is Al going to be okay?" Randy asked scared for his daughter.

"She's going to be fine. Just needs to get it out her system," Elaine said. "When did she start drinking?"

Randy shrugged, "As far as I was aware, she hadn't. I've offered her a sip of wine before, figuring it was better to introduce her to it when I was around to keep an eye on her, but she always said no, turning her nose up at the idea."

"I'm sure she'll be doing that for a long time to come considering this incidence," Elaine said as Alanna lurched forward and throw up in the bowl.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter :) Please review :)**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I know it's been a while but my job doesn't lend to as much free time as I'd like to write. I've had some time off this week and managed to punch out a couple of chapters. I'll post the next one tomorrow probably.**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"I can't believe how quickly this week has gone," Elaine commented as John drove into the airport grounds. "I know it was an unexpected visit for the pair of you, not to mention it didn't start well-"<p>

"Elaine, it continued in the same way, what with Alanna's escapades," Bob said loud enough Randy would hear in the front.

"I got it dad, you don't agree, I've got news for you, I don't agree either," Randy said shaking his head. John reached a hand over to lay on Randy's thigh, trying to give him comfort as he had all week.

Elaine was right, the week hadn't started well, but with many tense discussions, and some out right arguing, Randy and Bob had come to an understanding. However, with the events with Alanna occurring early that morning, the atmosphere in the house morphed from one situation to the next. Randy was on the defensive with his dad the majority of the week, and Alanna was sulking at being grounded by her dad.

Both Elaine and John were trying to keep the peace between the three and were often caught in the middle when someone started venting their frustrations. The one thing that came out of the week was John had learnt few tricks in the kitchen from Elaine. Small tasks, but he could now boil an egg and could at least help with pancakes. Randy was the first to taste everything he attempted and gave him tips if he was trying it again.

John quietly cursed Randy when he'd tried the pancakes, John's fingers had ended up with syrup on, and Randy took hold of his hand and sucked the syrup from the digits. It hadn't been long after that John excused himself from the room.

By the time the day was over and everyone was heading to bed, John was exhausted and sank into a deep slumber with Randy's arms encircling him. Some nights, after Orton tempers flared, John would head upstairs to find Randy tossing and turning on the bed unable to switch off and relax. Those nights, John would pull Randy to him and let him rest his head on his chest, the sound of John's heartbeat soothing him.

"John, would you mind helping Bob with the cases," Elaine said as they exited the car. "I want to have a quiet word with Randy."

"I think that's wise," John said nodding and heading to the back of the car.

Elaine made her way around the car and onto the sidewalk, heading straight to Randy as he fetched them a trolley to use.

"Randy, son, let's go get a drink together," she instructed him.

"Mom I'm getting a trolley for the cases," Randy said.

"I got it," John said taking it from him. "Go get a drink with your mom."

Randy sighed but followed alongside him mom, he insisted on buying the drinks and sent his mom to get a table so she could rest. She'd barely taken the time to do so the whole week she'd been in Florida.

As he waited in line and glanced over to his mother, he shook his head chuckling as he saw her wiping down the table with a wet wipe. He'd never change his mom; she'd always want things just so.

He took the drinks to the table about five minutes later, and as soon he set them down he was checking the time, they were early but he didn't want his folks to be rushing, he was also concerned about John being stuck with his dad.

"Are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or are you going to make me drag it out of you?" Elaine questioned as soon as he was sitting.

"I don't want you to be late for check in and then have to rush for the flight," Randy answered dodging her question.

"Drag it out it is," Elaine mumbled. "While I know that thought will be praying on your mind, along with John being alone with your father, I also know there is something else troubling you. No doubt regarding a teenage granddaughter of mine."

"If you know, would you care to tell me how to fix it... for good," Randy said adding a sachet of sweet n low to his coffee. "It's been one thing after another with her since she arrived. We have patches of good times, usually when something major happens that we all pull together."

"Including while you and John separated?" Elaine asked.

Randy's head shot up, he hadn't told her about that. If they spoke during that time it was on his cell phone, and even John had gone along with it and lied to her taken messages while he was at the gym or buying the groceries.

"I hate that you think I'm an idiot. I'm your mom, not a simpleton," Elaine scolded him.

"Mom-"

"Let me speak, I could tell something was wrong even if you weren't telling me. When I spoke to you once, you mentioned you were on your way to the bank after meeting Cody. I already had my suspicions and I rang John who said you were going to the gym and then buying groceries."

"I'm sorry, we should have told you, but neither of us wanted to worry you or Carol, we went through a rough spot, not communicating properly put we couldn't live without one another," Randy said shrugging as though it was nothing.

"So what's going on with Alanna?"

Randy stared at his coffee cup for the longest time, he was conscious of the time going on, and if he started talking about the situation then he would surely make his parents late. He needed to talk to someone, and his mom would be the best bet, but maybe they could talk over the phone once she arrived back in St Louis. In the meantime, he and John could keep things ticking over until then.

In the end though, he knew he wouldn't be able to fob his mom off, he got his stubbornness from her as much as his dad.

"Can we at least walk and talk?" Randy said trying to find a way that would keep him from checking his watch every two seconds.

"No, we won't have enough time."

"Mom."

"Stop whining, you're a grown man," Elaine complained. "Now start talking."

He hung his head and sighed before looking up, "Okay, okay, on the face of it, her problems stem from John and I, she holds this grudge against us because we had an affair."

"You told me you and John didn't start out like that, that you kissed maybe two or three times," Elaine accused him.

"Mom, not you as well, please," Randy begged. "John and I DIDN'T start up like that. Everyone has been whispering to her as she's grown up, telling her lies."

"Everyone?"

"Sam, I'm guessing Sam's friends, Neil wouldn't have helped things, Sam would have told him the same lies, trying to save face," Randy said stirring his coffee so he had something to do with his hands.

"Saving face?" Elaine queried, puzzled by the comment.

"A divorce couldn't possibly be her fault if John aggressively came after me, made me gay," Randy said shaking his head. He felt himself getting worked up at having to relieve it again. The last year it is all he ever seemed to do. "It's bad enough to be left for another woman, imagine what it would be like for me to tell her I'm leaving her for another man."

"So she told Alanna a lie, a rather large lie, but do you think it's the cause of the problems?"

"No, I think it's something Alanna has fixated on as she's grown up. We always had to battle through it each time we saw her. After a while, John and I gave in, I spent a lot of one on one time with her, and we limited how much we did as a family. It helped in the short term, I'd have to make it up to John afterward, but it made life easier."

"It hasn't helped in the long term though. And may I say, neither did moving to Florida," Elaine said.

"Don't start ragging on John," Randy told her sternly. "That was my idea. John was travelling back and forth so much that I made the suggestion. We both had a huge change in our lives; I wanted us to have something together, away from the pressures of family. We needed time together as a couple."

"What about Alanna?"

"If she wasn't well, or was even the slightest bit unhappy, I was on a plane to St Louis," Randy defended himself. "I did everything I could for her as she grew up. She had everything she needed without making her spoilt."

"I'm not denying that, what I'm suggesting is that she felt like you were choosing John over her," Elaine said indicating for him to get up and they started walking toward the check in stand where they immediately saw John and Bob. "Sit down and talk to her, let her do the talking without getting het up or defensive. She needs to see and feel exactly what you've just told me, that you'll do everything you can for her. It's at that stage she will be more likely "

"And what if she says she wants me to break up with John?" Randy said quietly unable to take his eyes away from the man in question.

"Well it's only a fling with John, that won't be a problem," Elaine said seriously.

The words took a second to register with Randy and he turned his head sharply at his mom staring at her in shock, "Mom, how can you-"

"Oh relax, I was kidding. She's not going to give you an ultimatum like that; I can see she loves John. She's known him all her life," Elaine, said shaking her head at him.

She quickened her steps, went over to John and Bob, and took her passport from Bob who'd already completed the express check in.

"Didn't think to get either of us a drink?" John said indicating Bob and himself.

"Dad can get one after they've gone through security and you can get one at home," Randy shrugged shoving an arm across John's shoulders.

They spent the next five minutes saying goodbye to Randy's parents making promises to have the entire family together over the summer. Elaine made a point that it shouldn't just be once a year that it happens.

Randy stood waiting to see his parents through the security gate, then turned to John and wrapped his arms around John's waist, kissing him gently on the lips, breaking into laughter as John tried to take it further.

"Something funny, mister?" John said pulling back from the embrace.

"Yeah, we're in the airport, can't get hot and bothered here," Randy said taking John's hand and leading him toward the exit. "However, we are back to having the house to ourselves. Imagine what we could be getting up to when we get back there."

"I like your thinking," John said stopping Randy and kissing him again. "I'll drive; I want to get there before Alanna gets home."

Randy grabbed John around the waist from behind, ignoring the looks they were receiving from onlookers, and was about to reply when his cell phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Mm, honey, got a new toy to play with it?" John chuckled looking back at Randy.

"I don't need toys, I've got what you want," Randy said accepting the phone call as he spoke.

"Please, Ted no doubt says the same to you. What's up? I'm making plans," he said into the phone as he placed kisses on John's neck as they fumbled out of the airport, hearing comments from those walking by.

"We just dropped my folks off at the airport. You're there right now?"

John's shoulders slumped as he heard the words and they adjusted their hold on one another and simply held hands as they headed to the car, knowing without saying a further word between the two that their fun was on hold for at least the remainder of the day.

"Okay, we'll be there in half hour, help yourself to food if you haven't yet," Randy said ending the phone call.

* * *

><p>"You okay, honey?" John said as he watched Randy push his food around on the plate.<p>

"I was expecting Al home so I could talk to her," Randy said shrugging. "Guess I worked myself up thinking about how to start it off, then she goes to her friends."

Randy continued to push the food around his plate for five minutes before giving up and taking their plates into the kitchen to wash up. John followed and took Randy's plate back, covering it so he could eat it later. It was the second meal Randy had missed after stewing over the situation and he was determined to make sure he ate something by the end of the day.

"Hey, I'm home," Alanna called from the door. "You've eaten?"

"You said you were round Ava's," Randy said confused.

"Dad, I only went there to pick up my school books, I left them there the other night," Alanna said exasperated.

"Well you could have said in your message, it only said you were round your friends," Randy said pulling out the leftover food.

"It works out, he didn't actually eat anything, just pushed it round his plate," John said giving Randy a stern look.

"Is he ill?" Alanna asked as Randy headed out to the patio and slumped into a seat.

"No, just has something on his mind," John said taking the plates of food from the microwave. "Come on, you two can eat together."

Alanna followed John out to the patio and took a seat opposite her dad and started eating the food. She saw John whisper something to her dad as he placed a soothing hand on his neck. Her dad shook his head in response and John whispered in his ear again.

She wouldn't begrudge them their privacy, she just hoped nothing serious was happening between them again, or that she had caused any agro, she'd already done enough of that over the last eight months.

John left them to it and went inside, keeping himself busy in the kitchen.

"Are you alright?" Alanna asked as her dad started pushing his food around the plate. "Are you coming down with something?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart, just off my food the last couple of days," Randy said. "Maybe I'm missing your grandma's food. Are you alright, honestly?"

"I'm fine," she said with a shrug.

"So why did you get drunk?" Randy asked, a little sharper than he planned.

"We thought it would be fun to have a few drinks, I guess I can't hold my liquor," she answered with a shrug before sinking into her seat and starting to push her own food around the plate.

"What were you drinking?"

"Different drinks from her mom's stash. Wine, I think some brandy, Vodka," she said shrugging again.

"Al, this is why I wanted you to try it with us first, you shouldn't mix drinks," Randy said shaking his head, sitting up straight in his chair. "Do you realise you could have made yourself seriously ill? As it was I wanted to take you to the hospital but your grandma said you'd be okay when you started throwing up."

"Dad you already lectured me," Alanna said letting her fork fall to her plate.

"Al, you don't seem too concerned about it, I worry every time you go out after school, especially when you mention Ava," Randy said.

"It happened, get over it."

"I've been thinking on it more and more, and I can't help but wonder if you're not happy here and that's why these things have happened. You made a spur of the moment decision to come here and of course I was going to say yes, but I wonder if you would prefer to be back in St Louis."

"What? No, I want to be here, I enjoy living here with you and John," Alanna said getting upset.

"Al, please don't think you have to lie, I understand you've never been comfortable with our relationship and you would prefer me to be with your mom or another woman-"

"No, that's not true, you're both better suited to those that you're with now," Alanna said getting emotional. "You and John are perfectly suited; I wish I could have a relationship like what you have with John. And Neil is good for mom, maybe I don't like him as much as I should, but he's a creep."

"Al, that's your mom's husband," Randy scolded.

"He is though, and he's perfect for mom, she gets a new family," she cried. "She was as happy for me to be moving here as you seemed at first."

"I am happy you're here, with me. You have no idea how happy that made me," Randy said. "John was laughing at me I was so giddy. However, in the long term you're better off in St Louis. You seemed happier when we were there at Christmas, when you were spending time with your friends."

"No, I wasn't, I was happiest when I was with you, John and seeing my grandparents, Uncle Nate, Aunt Becky," Alanna said, her tears flowing. "And I love being here, I have friends, you, John, and I love it when Cody and Ted come round, especially seeing how they're together now. Please, I don't want to lose that."

"Al, I've made up my mind," Randy said unable to look her in the eye. He wasn't exactly following his mom's advice. He'd already made up his mind what he was going to do and forced it on her rather than listen to what she wanted, or let her even speak. "You can finish the school year out here in Florida and we can move over the summer, see if we can get you back in the same school as your friends in St Louis."

"Whatever, like you care about me," she said kicking her chair back and running into the house in tears.

"Ally, wait," John called as she ran passed him in the kitchen. When she didn't stop and he walked out to the patio finding Randy holding his head in his hands and the tears brimming in his eyes, John sat in the next chair and took one of Randy's hands in his own. "Didn't go as planned, huh?"

"Do you think the house will be ready by the summer?"

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yeah. We never had these problems when she lived in St Louis."

"Okay," John said, kissing the knuckles on Randy's hand. "Anything for you and Ally. I'll make some phone calls."

* * *

><p>Alanna's stomach was growling when she crept quietly from her bedroom, her eyes still stained red from the crying.<p>

John had paid her a visit but she couldn't stop crying long enough to speak to him. She knew if she didn't tell them the real reason she wanted to live with them that they were ship her off back to her mom.

She edged closer to the office when she heard John talking. She didn't want to get too close in case her dad was in there with him, but as she grew close, she could tell John was on the phone.

"Can you send me the documents by priority mail as soon you receive them so we can sign them and not hold things up. I need to be able to get some interior decorators in to touch it up a bit," John said. "No, it'll just be the bare essentials; we'll fix the rest up."

"It isn't that much, couple of little bits to fit our needs, Randy needs to make the kitchen his, the bedroom, Ally's room, she's a teenager after all," he chuckled at something the other person said. "Okay, that's brilliant, thanks."

John hung up the phone and kicked the spare chair out indicating for Ally to sit down.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hungry," she said sitting down holding her stomach.

"I saved your food. Though I'm not sure what it will be liked being warmed up for a second time, we might be better off getting you something else to eat."

"We?" Alanna said raising an eyebrow. "More like me."

"Hey, I can do basic things now, I can boil you an egg," John laughed with her. "I can even be supervised while cooking pancakes."

"Supervised?"

"You're grandma wouldn't let me loose alone after she heard Randy had to chuck his frying pan out," John said pulling a face.

"Where's dad?"

"He went to the gym to let off steam," John said turning serious. "He's not very happy with himself."

"You mean with me."

"No, I mean with himself. Your grandma gave him some advice and he had plans to follow that advice, instead, he turned into your grandpa and made up his own mind and now, we're moving back to St Louis," John said, indicating the phone and paperwork he had in front of him.

"Why are you moving back?"

"Long distance relationships are troublesome," John said cringing at the thought. "I remember when I retired from the business. Your dad was going to stop at the same time, but I convinced him he still had some give in his body."

"You didn't like being here by yourself?"

"I hated it. I went with him to begin with, but it was hard to be at the shows without taking part," John shrugged as he explained. "After I stopped going with him, he lasted three and a half months. Stephanie practically packed his bags, told him she couldn't bear to see him moping around backstage."

"What were you doing when you here alone?"

"I found things to keep me busy, but I felt like I had two lives, one when your dad was here and one when he was away, I didn't want that, I wanted to share everything I was doing. I must have rung him anywhere up to ten times a day," he reminisced, smiling at the memory. "Fell asleep on him a couple of times as well."

Alanna sat listening to John reminisce for a while. She loved listening to them share their memories from their relationship. She really did wish she could have something as strong as theirs. She knew it may not happen for a while but that didn't worry her. As long as she could one day have that same feeling John got when he spoke of his love.

"Ally, you know your dad will do anything for you, right?" John said bringing her out of her thoughts. "He might me taking you back to St Louis, but he isn't about to leave you there, we're going with you and setting up house there. He didn't move here because he didn't want you. He moved here because of me, even though I told him not to."

She couldn't think of anything to say, her dad had shown his love for John so many times over, but she never felt like she received the same. She didn't deny that he loved her, she was his daughter after all, but it always felt like she was causing problems.

Maybe she could tell John why she wanted to move here, sure they knew her birthday had been ruined by her mom and Neil, and they saw with their own eyes how bad things were when they went back at Christmas and Sam forgot when she was arriving, but they didn't know just what she was thinking on so many occasions, she was keeping it locked up.

"John can I talk to you," she said tentatively.

"I would hope by now you know you don't need to ask," John said sitting back and relaxing. "Shoot."

"I don't want to go back to St Louis, even with you guys there," she said stating the obvious. "I love being here in Florida."

"Why don't you want to be in St Louis, you grew up there?"

"But I never fit in. Maybe as a kid, but the older I got, the more I felt distanced from my friends," she said lowering her head as though she was ashamed to admit it. "I didn't feel like I fit in with them. Sure I hung out and spent time with them, but I always felt like I was acting."

"Ally, you should know that everyone feels like that when they're growing up, you get to go home and be yourself. And school doesn't last a life time, when you finish you get to be anyone you want to be," John tried to console her.

"But when I went home, I didn't get to be myself. When I tried mom used to be on my back about not hanging with friends, or wearing makeup. I just wanted to sit at home and do my homework then relax with a good book, maybe watch a movie."

"Did you tell your mom that you didn't want to?"

"Yeah, she said it wasn't normal, that teenage girls should be into makeup, boys, and clothes and friends."

"Ally, no one can say what's normal, sure there are a few things that I'd be concerned about if you were doing, but reading a book, watching a movie, doing your homework, no parent should be trying to dissuade you from those things if they make you happy."

"Well mom does, so much so that I started doing everything she wanted me to," Alanna said wiping fresh tears from her eyes. "I always felt tired as well. When i did get time to do something I wanted to, I was too tired."

"Because you were acting all day long, everyday," John said knowingly. "And that's why you wanted to move here?"

"Yeah," she sniffled.

"Have things got better?"

"Sort of."

"Have we made you feel like you had to be someone different than who you are?"

"No. Maybe."

"Is that 'Maybe' spelt Y-E-S?" he tried to make her smile a little.

"N-O. Brad did. Ava and the girls do a lot."

"Did Brad make you do anything you didn't want to?" John asked concerned for her safety.

"What do you-? Oh, no. Definitely not. I'm not. I mean I haven-"

"Okay, okay, don't feel like you need to go into details, no parent wants to have that discussion. Even stepfathers."

"I don't think of you as a stepfather," Alanna said seriously.

"Sorry, I just," John stuttered trying to take back his words.

"John, I've always thought of you as a father," Alanna said finally smiling a little. "I may not have shown it and I'm sorry, but I have. You've always been there ever since I remember."

"Thank you, that means a lot," John said beaming with a smile. "Makes me feel even worse about some of the arguments we've all had over the last year."

"I've caused enough of them."

"Well, how about we pinkie swear to talk through our problems rather than argue," John said holding his pinkie out.

"I've been assured, it's a teenage girl thing to pinkie swear," Ally said laughing through the last of her tears.

"Well, I'm a gay man, does that mean I can get away with it?"

"No," she laughed. "But I'll go with it. As long as you promise, you'll never try to have THAT talk with me again."

"Hell, I'm leaving that for Randy, he can have the unpleasant task of having that chat," John said shivering before turning serious again. "I do want to ask you one more question, NOT about Brad, but your friends, did they make you drink the other night?"

"I'd already said no to so many things and they were getting funny with me," Alanna said turning sad again. "I felt like if I didn't they'd do something."

"Like what?"

"I don't know what, but I felt like I had to," she admitted hanging her head.

"Ally, never ever let anyone tell you have to do something you don't want to," John said firmly.

She nodded her agreement before getting up from the chair and wrapping her arms around John, "I'm sorry, this has got in the way of everything. I caused so many problems."

"Hey, there's always a settling in period and nobody in this family holds a grudge against anyone," John said.

"So will you talk to dad, make him change his mind, I love being in Florida with you, and I know you'll be in St Louis, but I want to stay here," Alanna pleaded.

"Okay, I'll try, but first you have to do something," John said turning her around to face the door and the man stood in the hallway. "Talk to your dad. Please."

John stepped out of the office and held his hand out for Randy to take. It didn't take more than a second and John led him back into the office, "I'll have some food waiting for you both when you're done _talking_, but don't expect homemade, it's going to be either take out or ping ping food. Now sit."

"I love you," Randy said before slapping John on the ass as he left the room.

"Gross," Alanna said pulling a face before laughing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: There you go. Hope you enjoyed. Begging you all to review.**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the previous chapter. Since I was on a roll, I was able to get the next chapter written quickly. **

**Hope you enjoy this one as well.**

* * *

><p>"Okay, now play properly," Alanna, said pointing her finger at her dad as he returned to the patio with a pitcher of lemonade and a couple of beers for him and John.<p>

"I was playing properly," he said laughing. "How can I not, it's Life, not poker."

"Which is why you always managed to spin a low number, it took you nearly ten spins to hit the marriage spot," Alanna said getting wound up. "And when you did reach it, you picked up another blue peg."

"Ally, Cutie, give it up, your dad doesn't do anything normally," John said grabbing his beer from the table.

"Hey, a blue beg is normal for me," Randy said trying to defend his actions but unable to keep from laughing himself.

John pulled Randy into the seat next to him and stretched Randy's legs out over his own, "Spin, to see who goes first. I got eight and Ally two."

"So I need to get nine or ten to go first?" he asked reaching for the spinner in the centre of the board. "Six, at least I can say I did that right, unless you wanted me to go first."

"Ha ha," Alanna said sarcastically.

John went first, choosing a career over the college route. When he managed to select the Athlete career from the pile, Randy and Alanna shot a barrage of comments at him. He spun to move his minivan and stopped four squares later, receiving his payday money.

"Here we go," he joked when Randy went to spin. Randy stopped his movements and looked at John as though he couldn't believe he was getting a comment before he'd even done anything.

"You have to choose between College or Career first dad," Alanna said swatting his hand away from the spinner.

"Oh, I don't know, career, you'll make me take a loan if I go the college route," he said as Alanna held out the cards for him to choose. He picked the middle one and ended up with Hair Stylist. "Jesus Christ, a hair stylist? Can I spin now before you make a comment about that?"

"Yeah, and no one's or two's," she said through her laughter.

Randy spun and ended up with ten. He received his pay, and then moved the ten squares, hitting the marriage spot on his first go causing John to burst into fresh laughter and Alanna to sit there in shock. Randy gave Alanna a look only a dad could give his child and then spun for a gift. When he spun another high number, Randy joined in the laughter as Alanna and John each handed over their money.

He grabbed a blue peg from the box, popping it into the minivan.

"Dad, you're supposed to put a pink peg in," Alanna said trying to take it out the van. "How else can you have kids when you land on those squares?"

"We'll adopt, just like in real life."

"If you want it to be like real life, you need it to be a pink peg, have a baby girl, get divorced, land a square which says you've turned gay and come out to the world, get a life partner, which by the way is when you can add a blue peg. Then if you so wish you can adopt," she said looking smug.

Before Randy had the chance to answer, he heard the doorbell. He lifted his legs from John's and went inside.

"Honey, your life is surreal," John called out as he entered the house; he grabbed his wallet from the kitchen counter and went to answer the door. At least the food had finally arrived. He checked his watch, it was only just within the half hour delivery time, and he didn't see the point in challenging it.

He paid for the food and went back into the kitchen grabbing some chopsticks, forks, plates and napkins before heading back out to the family on the patio.

"Grubs up," Randy said placing the food on the far end of the table. "Are we eating from the cartons or do you want to dish up onto plates?"

"Save the washing up, we can eat from the cartons, is that okay Cutie?"

"Fine by me, oh and dad, I took after John in life and became a mechanic," Alanna said pointing to the game.

"And I got married, but I decided to try the real life route Ally described. I married a woman. However after I've had a baby girl, we may need to make some radical changes to the board. You owe me $5,000."

"What the hell for?" Randy said as he went to lift noodles to his mouth.

"You love me as my best friend and want to support my marriage and help me out in my new life," John said biting into a spring roll.

They continued playing as they ate their dinner, laughing and joking as they hit all manner of squares on the board; John had a set of twins and ended up changing his career, becoming a police officer. Alanna had to boys and became an Accountant by the end of the game and Randy suddenly remembered they were the same jobs she had in the first game. He jokingly challenged her on it, claiming he wasn't sure how possible that was on pure luck and maybe she needed to play properly next time.

Randy however was in despair by the end of the game, he ended up with a third job, becoming a vet, and had two girls and a boy. He even needed to take out a loan to cover some of the payments he needed to make to John and Alanna.

Once they were through with the game, they moved inside and sat in front of the television in time for Raw. Randy sat in the corner of the sofa and John lifted one of his legs and wrapped it around his waist getting cosy to watch the show.

"If you two start getting all lovey-dovey, I'm going upstairs to read," Alanna said when Randy kissed John.

"We would never make you feel like you had to leave the room," Randy said seriously. "We'd go upstairs and-"

"Randy." "DAD."

Randy laughed again, a genuine smile on his face as his family finally moved forward from the anguish of the last eight months.

* * *

><p>"Do you want me to pick you up later or are you getting the bus back?" Randy asked as Alanna grabbed her bag from the back seat of the Bentley.<p>

"I'll get the bus back. It's easier when you need to get the dinner started," she said with a shrug.

"I don't mind, Sweetheart."

"I know, and neither do I mind catching the bus home. I get time to do some reading. See you later," she said closing the door and heading into the school grounds.

She skipped a couple of steps when she noticed the time was getting on and she had to be in homeroom for the start of the day. That was the easiest part of her days. Their homeroom teacher was strict. If they spoke out of turn, they were in detention. If she arrived there at the right time, she'd have just enough time to get in and sit down without needing to speak with her friends.

Then it was off to Algebra. She was barely able to avoid the girls but she managed it after the teacher held her back, they let her get her head down for a few weeks. They at least paid attention enough that they didn't need to scrounge answers off her.

Since her night of getting drunk, and the consequential awkward home life, even with her grandparents there, Alanna would go to the library on her breaks to avoid the girls, if they challenged her she said she was working on a project for her English Honours class. She even skipped eating some days just so she didn't need to see them.

"Miss Orton," Mr Humphrey's called as Alanna and the other students packed their bags. "I'd a word please."

"Yes sir," she called back slumping her shoulders. She'd barely spoken in the class, why would he be holding her back this time?

She heard the girls giggling as they walked away and she slumped into her seat waiting for everyone to go.

"I wanted to catch up with you after our chat before Christmas," Mr Humphreys said. "Your grades have rapidly improved and I'm impressed with your commitment to your grades. Part of that I suspect is because of your separation from Mr Faulkner."

"Partly, yes, sir," Alanna said without wanting to go into detail. He was her school counsellor and she didn't feel it was any of his business.

"I wanted to let you know I'm impressed and would like you to consider applying for the honors course in Algebra next year. You have the capability to handle the course along your English," he said.

"Okay, I'll think about it," Alanna said with a small smile. "I need to discuss it with my dads."

"As much I think that is a good idea, just remember this is your future, your dad shouldn't make your decision for you."

"Plural," she said grabbing her bag.

"Excuse me?"

"You said dad, it should be plural, I have two," she said her smile growing at the confusion on Mr Humphrey's face. "My actual dad is gay, his partner helped raise me since I was five."

"Oh... okay..." he said to himself as Alanna left the room.

Alanna skipped down the corridor, suddenly remembering it was recess and she needed to get to the library before the girls caught up with her and she was stuck acting.

She was just about to head in when she heard Ava call her name. She turned around taking a breath hoping it was just her and not the other girls as well.

"Why have you been avoiding me, the only time you spoke to me was Friday when you needed to collect your precious book," Ava said turning her nose up. "Why you brought a book to a booze up I don't know."

"I haven't been avoiding you, I just, my grandparents were visiting," Alanna said trying to find an excuse.

"They didn't come to school with you can't use that excuse," Ava said challenging her.

"I've already told you, I've got a project on in English, I've needed to put a lot of time into it," Alanna said. "You can ask my dad as well, they'll both tell you I've been nonstop on my homework. Besides, it wasn't like they were very happy when we arrived at the house drunk and then started throwing up everywhere."

"Whatever... have one last day of avoiding us," Ava said snidely. "You're coming around Chloe's tonight, she's got the key to her dad's den, and apparently he has some stronger alcohol in there."

"Umm, okay, sure, tonight, I'll meet you by the school gate," Alanna said faking a smile.

Ava sneered at her and turned on her heel to walk away. As soon as she was around the corner, the school bell rang and her recess was over. Her shoulders slumped and she headed off toward her English class. At least she had two hours away from all of them.

She tried to focus on what they were discussing in the class. She had enjoyed the Dickens novel and usually she would be quite vocal in any discussions that took place, however her mind kept wandering back to her conversation with Ava. It was praying on her mind so much that she put two bookmarks in her copy of the novel so she could re-read the section later that night to help with the homework that was required.

Most people would use the York notes to help with the text and the essay, however she enjoyed the story, and she made more sense of it when she read the full text. Of course, if she had to go to Chloe's then she'd be reading until the early morning to catch up, and neither of her dad's would be pleased with that.

"Alanna can you stay please," the English teacher said as she packed her bag. Her shoulders visibly slumped so much she was sure the teacher was going to notice. "Mr Rawlins, I have PE now and I need time to get changed, can I go now and we can talk tomorrow."

"I just wanted to check you were okay, I was expecting to you to be leading that discussion considering how vocal you've been with previous discussions," he said sitting at his desk.

"I'm fine," she said with a shrug and headed for the door.

"Alanna," he called stopping her exit.

"Yes sir," she said exasperated, she was sick of the teachers trying to interfere in her life, even if they were trying to help.

"Are you going to be able to catch up on the reading you missed today?"

"Yes sir."

"Let me know tomorrow if you haven't. I'll find you some time during the day," he said.

"Yes, sir. Can I go now sir?"

"Of course, you must be the only person eager to get to sports," Mr Rawlins said with a shake of his head.

Alanna ran from the classroom to her sports lesson, grumbling the whole way there for being late. She changed as quickly as she could and just made it in time for the teacher to arrive. Although it wasn't her favourite sport, Alanna enjoyed the tennis they were playing, especially when she could watch some of the better players who she could see turning professional in years to come.

They only had five courts, so they would generally play mixed doubles so everyone would get to have a game or two during the lesson. This really was the lesson she enjoyed best out of her day at the moment. The teacher did the pairing up and she was never paired with any of the girls she was trying to avoid.

Today she was paired with one of the best, Michael something, she couldn't remember his last name, but they were making a good team. She would play the volleys and a shorter game while he played a baseline game. On occasion they would switch it up to fool their opponents. Some of the guys thought they blast a hard shot down the court and she would end up flinching like her so called friends. However, she would return the shot comfortably and sometimes the shock of receiving a return meant they weren't prepared for a rally and they'd either miss the shot or hit it widely out of court.

"Nice shot, Orton," Michael said giving her a high five after she smashed a shot to the outside of her opponent as they went to the centre of the court to win the game.

"Cheers, Michael," Alanna said, smiling triumphantly at her shot.

"It's Mike," he said holding his hand out to her. "Mike Pagano."

"Was it that obvious I didn't know your surname?" she said cringing.

"Nooo," he said smiling as he lofted the ball before serving.

Alanna smiled as she ran to mid court to cover the short balls though it wasn't necessary when Mike aced their opponent.

"I have history with you, don't I?" he asked as she returned to the baseline.

"Yeah."

"Well, if you fancy a change of seat for the day, you're welcome to sit next to me. James isn't in this week, he's got tonsillitis apparently," he said serving his next shot.

Alanna smiled in return and nodded.

The rest of the class went by too fast for Alanna's liking, especially when she returned to the changing rooms and felt the girls eyes on her. She was definitely going to take Mike up on his offer of the spare seat in history. She hoped he enjoyed the subject as much as she did.

She left the changing room and headed for the library, bumping into Mike again as she was about to enter. He queried what she was up to rather than eating and before she realised what she was saying, she told him the truth. She was avoiding her friends.

He didn't press the matter but invited her to get something to eat. They went to the canteen and grabbed some sandwiches and chips but rather than eat in the canteen they went out to the front of the school and sat out in the courtyard. They continued chatting, getting to know one another and she didn't feel tense or on edge anytime during the conversation, she was as relaxed as she had been the night before with her folks.

"Come on," checking his watch and heading back into the school building. "I'll see you in history, I'm at the-"

"Front on the right, I know," Alanna said smiling at his puzzled look. "What? I'm observant. Plus I only sit two seats behind you."

"I'll catch you in an hour," he said laughing and heading to his own homeroom.

As with the sports, the rest of the day sped by and she was happier than she'd ever been at school before. Mike had further tennis practice after school so they said goodbye at the end of history, which she thanked god they both enjoyed.

She made her way merrily to the school gates but before even leaving the building, Ava, Chloe and Brianna stopped her and asked to have a word.

They led her to the girl's bathroom which was deserted.

"Why are you suddenly so friendly with Mike Pagano?" Brianna asked snidely folding her arms over his chest.

"We got talking during tennis," Alanna shrugged, suddenly nervous of the way they were crowding her.

"Really, and it has nothing to do with the fact that you've been avoiding us like you think you're better than us," Chloe said shoving at Alanna's shoulder.

"What? No."

"It looks that way," Brianna said stepping closer causing Alanna to step back until she hit the wall. "Awww girls, she looks a little scared."

"She should be," Ava said. "Little bitch says she better than us."

"I never said-" she was cut off when Chloe slapped her face. She put her own hand to her face to cover the spot which was hit so forcefully. "I just have stuff on."

"But," Ava said shoving her head to the side. "You agreed to come to Chloe's tonight."

"Then we hear you telling Mike you've got to catch the bus home," Brianna said shoving Alanna back against the wall so the back of her head bounced off the wall.

"Oww," Alanna cried trying to cradle her head from the blow.

"How about we teach her what happens when you lie to your friends," Brianna said smiling.

With that the three girls started slapping and scratching at her. Ava grabbed her hair, pulled her away from the wall, and shoved her to floor. Chloe and Ava started kicking her while Brianna held her arms hard enough to bruise her.

"Bitch thinks she's better than us," Brianna said.

"Such a sissy girl, her gay dad would be so proud," Ava laughed kicking her again.

"I guess you're not a future wrestler," Chloe said stomping on her fingers as Brianna let go of her and she fell to the floor.

"Come on girls, she's a waste of space."

The three girls walked away leaving her crying on the floor in too much pain to move for a moment. She lay there for a few minutes and steadied her tears and breathing. She pulled herself to her feet and checked her watch. She only had five minutes to get to the bus before it left.

She went to the washbasins and checked her reflection. Red puffy eyes, slap marks on her cheeks, and a split lip. She didn't want to check her arms or the rest of her body just yet; she'd do that when she got home.

She took a deep breath and picked her bag up from the floor. She made her way through the corridors of the school, keeping her head down so no one could see the bruises or split lip. She ran through the school grounds and jumped on the bus just before it closed the doors and pulled away. She sank down in her seat and covered her face from everyone who was trying to look. Already hearing the whispers making their way down the bus.

* * *

><p>"Didn't I tell you, the pool doesn't have to be off limits," Randy said swimming up to John and pulling him into his arms. "It's safe, what happened was an accident, nothing more."<p>

"I know," John, said kissing him. "But people are allowed irrational fears when it comes to their loved ones and near death experiences."

"Well, we just have a rule, if the phone rings, we both get out of the pool, no leaving the other to entertain himself," Randy said instigating another kiss, sucking gently on John's bottom lip.

"Yeah," John mumbled, staring at Randy's lips. "I agree."

Randy kissed him again, letting his hands slide up John's back and moving up further to cradle John's head to hold him as he deepened the kiss and pressed his tongue gently into John's mouth, teasing him to return the gesture.

He moaned gently himself when John pressed back and moved his arms to wrap around Randy's neck and sink himself fully into the kiss. Randy continued the kiss, keeping it as gently as he started it, wanting it to smoulder rather than letting John spark and burn. He and John could go for hours just kissing and keeping the touches light. And although he was looking for anything more than kissing to happen on this occasion, the thought was enough to spur on a reaction further south.

John moaned into the kiss again as he felt the reaction, and Randy had to try and stay in control of his actions at the sound. John wasn't the only one to spark and burn, not to mention it had been a good few weeks since they'd been able to enjoy some time together.

"Ran," John moaned between kisses. "Please."

Randy was seriously considering lifting John from the pool and having a quick fumble right there in the open, but it wasn't what he was looking for. He wanted to take his time to appreciate his boyfriend's body.

He lifted John's feet from the pool floor and wrapped him lightly around his waist. John tried to push the kiss deeper but Randy managed to break the kiss.

"Not rushing this, darling," Randy said short of breath. "Now be-"

He was interrupted by the slam of the front door and he was amazed, concerned, and annoyed he could hear all the way at the bottom of the yard. It had to be Alanna and he wondered why she was slamming it that hard.

A couple of minutes later, she stepped out onto the patio and within seconds of seeing her he and John were leaping out of the pool and rushing to her. His little girl, was bruised and had a split lip. He pulled her into his arms and she collapsed into floods of tears.

He picked her up and carried her to the nearest sunbed, cradling her in his arms trying to calm him. John grabbed a towel to put between Randy and Alanna to stop her clothes from getting wet and then perched on the end of the seat, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Sweetheart, calm down," Randy said rocking her as though she was a young child again. "It's going to be okay, Alanna. You're okay, you're home."

John sat watching his partner comfort their daughter, catching sight of the bruises on her arms and legs. He silently prepared they weren't over her body as well.

"Al, sweetheart, what happened?" Randy asked as Alanna's tears lessened.

She sobbed the words out but neither Randy nor John could understand what she said. They let her sob for a few more moments and then heard her take a deep breath.

"Ava and the girls cornered me at the end of school," she sobbed gently. "Said I thought I was better than them."

"Even if I didn't think they were the best girls for you to be friends with, I didn't think they were violent," Randy said.

"Apparently they are," John said quietly. "Did you speak with a teacher?"

Alanna shook her head in her dad's chest.

"I'm going to speak with the principal. She better do something about this," Randy said getting het up over his daughter.

"No, dad, please no," Alanna begged. "Please don't. They'll get worse if you. It's always like that. They'll think it's funny."

"Al, I could go to the police and press charges, they wouldn't think its funny then," Randy said pushing her hair behind her ear when she sat up.

"Daddy, please, don't, promise me you won't," she said tears falling faster again.

"Okay, but if it happens again I'll be having a word with the principal at the very least," Randy said.

"Why don't we get you cleaned up? Come on cutie," John said holding his hand out.

The three of them went back into the kitchen and Randy went to fetch the first aid kit from the downstairs bathroom while John sat comforting Alanna in the family room. He went through to them and sat down on the coffee table opening the box.

Years in the wrestling business meant they both knew how to deal with cuts and bruises and how to help them heal faster. They weren't medically trained but they'd seen worse over the years, thankfully.

Randy spent ten minutes cleaning up the cuts on her lip and hands, asking her if she had any bruises they couldn't see. Alanna lifted her top enough to show them her stomach where they could see a huge bruise forming under her ribs. Randy had to take a couple of breaths before he went off the deep end.

"Ally, I know you made your dad promise but this has to be brought to the principal's attention. They could have done some serious damage," John said calmly as Randy was being heavy handed with the first aid kit as he packed it away.

"It's just bruises," Alanna cried.

Randy took the first aid kit back to the bathroom and returned pulling Alanna back into his arms. Alanna curled up on the sofa letting her dad hold her and John switched the television on, before settling next to Alanna, lifting her feet to rest on his lap, his hand reassuring in its touch.

An hour later, Alanna was fast asleep and Randy signalled to John to lift her from him. John carried her upstairs and led her on her bed tucking a stuffed toy under her arm. She snuggled into the cuddly toy and drifted deeper into sleep.

John tiptoed out the room and quietly closed the door, turning round to see Randy sat at the top of the stairs looking lost, unable to protect his daughter in her time of need.

"Come on honey, you and I are having an early night," John said taking Randy's hand and leading him to their room.

He helped Randy out of his clothes and into his pyjama bottoms, tucking him into the bed. He followed suit and then pulled Randy into his arms where he let the silent tears flow until he drifted off to sleep.

"She'll be okay," John whispered brushing his lips to the top of Randy's head, though he was trying to convince himself as much as his lover.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. I'm giving up on the reviews and just going to write, when I get the chance. This was the second story I chose to write however I've been swayed by people wanting other stories. I'm going to finish this one before returning to the others.**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: I've got good news and I've got bad news...**

**The good news is not only do you have another chapter to read, but you also have another being written as we speak.**

**The bad news... I go back to work tomorrow and my schedule these days means I only have Friday evening's, Saturday afternoon's and Sunday as free time, and sometimes I'm just too tired to sit and write, especially in this blistering heat.**

* * *

><p>Alanna sat watching the video in her history lesson, she was glad they weren't doing any work that day, as she was able to zone out and relax. Her week had hardly improved and where previously she had been avoiding the girls because she didn't want to associate herself with them anymore, now she was trying her hardest to avoid them so they wouldn't beat her up again.<p>

She wished she could go back to that day and defend herself. See the attack coming and make sure she was able to block a few of the blows a little better. She was the daughter of two wrestlers after all, shouldn't she have a certain amount of physical prowess in her blood. Her father was a third generation wrestler and John was the strongest guy she knew, she should be able to hold off a couple of girls.

Mike nudged her arm after a moment and she came out of the same thoughts that had hounded her for the last four days, he silently asked her if she was okay and she nodded her acknowledgement trying to hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She didn't want to break down in the class, that would only bring a sense of satisfaction to the girls.

"Okay," the teacher said as she paused the video. "In your pairs, I want you to open the envelope you have in front of you and take out the cards."

As she spoke the students, begrudgingly followed her instructions. In pairs, they were to pair up the war and the statement card, ensuring they had them in the order the wars took place.

Mike and Alanna spent five minutes going through the cards and lined them up according to date. They were going through the statement cards concerning each of the wars trying to figure out which one related to which.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked. "I know I keep asking but you don't sound convincing when you answer."

"I like that it was the video today, it gave me a chance to not worry that they'll mess around and try to do something as we work, but instead I just keep thinking about it.," she slumped her shoulders slightly as she placed a statement card by the Korean War. "I wish I had dad's strength and skill."

She shook it off, not wanting to discuss it anymore and they returned to their work. She liked Mike so much for not discussing it when she didn't want to. So many people would continue pressing the matter and make her uncomfortable.

After their ten minutes ended, the teacher went through the answers and both Mike and Alanna were surprised at a few of the answers. When they considered it later, it was clear they were put in to kick-start their thoughts for the project they had to individually work on over the summer.

"So are you going to get started on the history project before the break or actually work on it over the summer?" Alanna asked as they walked out to the courtyard with their lunch.

"I'll take a look before the end of school. I want to keep summer free as much as possible. I'll probably have tennis over the summer anyway," Mike explained with a shrug. "You?"

"Not sure, Dad doesn't mind me doing homework, obviously, he's my dad, but we were probably some trips to St Louis to see my mom and the rest of the family. We've also got the house to decorate up there," she explained.

"Tell me to mind my own business, but is your dad Randy Orton?" Mike asked. "The wrestler."

"Yeah. He moved here when I was a kid," she said with a small smile. She didn't want to go into too much detail considering Brad's attitude toward her dad's sexuality.

"I would love to have a wrestler as a dad, let alone two," Mike said. "Unless, do you consider John your dad as well?"

"Umm, yeah, I do," she said shocked at his knowledge of her dad. "Did you watch them wrestle when you were a kid?"

"A little bit, I'm not an avid follower but I knew enough about it to follow the storylines," Mike said to her chuckling.

"More than a little," Alanna said bemused. "If you know about dad and John."

"Umm, yeah, well, my older brother kind of, well he's gay," Mike said quietly. "Not many people outside of the family know yet. But it was your dad, or dads I should say, that were his inspiration."

"Really?" she asked smiling, proud of her dads for being role models.

"Yeah, he told us, if John Cena and Randy Orton can come out as a couple, then so could he," Mike said smiling as brightly as Alanna. "We were gutted for him though, a few weeks later, his boyfriend who came out at the same time broke up with him. Apparently his new found confidence meant he wanted a different guy."

"Wow, to go through something like that and then have your boyfriend break up with you," Alanna said sadly. "My dads were lucky. They went through that and it brought them closer together. My dad had a rough time with his dad, and my mom."

"Were they still together when it happened?"

"Sort of; I think they came to the realisation when dad was still married but nothing happened when he was still married. Depending on who you ask."

"Mom says it was an affair, and I believed her, but coming to live here with dad, both he and John defended themselves so much I can't believe they're lying," she explained.

Mike was the first person she was openly talking to about her dad's relationship. When Brad was trying to get information, she knew it was just because he wanted to have some dirt on them. Now she could talk it through with a friend who she felt would tell her the truth, even if she didn't want to hear it.

"How did your parents take it when your brother came out?"

"Mom thought she'd done something wrong when she was bringing him up. Concerned I was going to follow suit," he said laughing. "Nothing against gay people, but I'm pretty damn sure I like women."

Alanna laughed along with Mike as they discussed some of the fallout from family turning out to be gay. Mike was a lot older when it happened so he was able to understand what was going on. Alanna had to try and comprehend at a young agge which made things more difficult as her friends minds were just as underdeveloped. She admitted to Mike that she thinks that may be why she had a hard time with it as the years went by.

"They even took a break at one point when I was young. I think it helped them in a while. Both would have done anything for me, still would to this day but, well, when you love someone that much how can you stay away from them," Alanna said hanging her head in shame. "I have to admit I caused them to take a break earlier this year. They said it was communication issues surrounding them, but they lived so happily for such a long time, then I arrived and things started getting... tricky."

"Maybe you were the catalyst for underlying problems," Mike said tentatively. "But you should give yourself a break. You moved halfway across the country and then started a new high school. Most of us have known each other through junior high, you didn't have that comfort blanket. Do you still see your friends from St Louis?"

"I saw a few at Christmas, I get to talk on Face Time with them, but we all got busy," she said shrugging.

"I guess you grow apart when you live different lives."

The bell rang signalling the end of lunch and Mike walked Alanna to her homeroom before heading to his own. Alanna sat through the twenty-minute update from her tutor before heading for the exit and going to her next class.

As she neared the science labs, Brianna stepped in front of her, stopping Alanna in her tracks with a look of menace on her face.

"Finally caught you without your new boyfriend," Brianna chuckled. "Can I have a word?"

"I have to get to class," Alanna said pushing passed her. Before she could take two steps, Brianna grabbed her shoulder and threw her against the wall. Alanna looked around and found she was alone; no wonder Brianna was getting physical again.

"Aw what's the matter, looking to see if Mike's going to save you? Or maybe daddy might turn up and protect his precious little girl," Brianna taunted shoving Alanna back, making sure her head hit the wall again.

"Weak..." Slap.

"...pathetic..." Shove.

"...Miss goody two shoes..." Slap.

"...little girl."

Brianna went to slap her again when Alanna snapped and grabbed her wrist pushing her back from where she was trapped in the corridor.

"Leave me alone," Alanna called, holding tight to the emotions, Brianna considered weak. "I am sick of you and the others thinking you can control me."

She shoved Brianna again making her slip back and hit the opposite wall. Brianna started laughing as she stood straight, trying to tower over Alanna.

"You got a pretty little split lip, looks so good with that piercing," Brianna laughed. "I bet daddy's still mad that you used his credit card to pay for it."

"You don't know the first thing about my family," Alanna snapped back at her.

"You mean your daddy, the one who likes to play house maid to another man," Brianna taunted her more. "So proud of you when you turned up at home with all these bruises."

Alanna's fist flew out before she knew what she was doing, and Brianna fell to the floor holding her face, looking up at Alanna in shock. Alanna stood there smiling at the face on Brianna.

"Now who's-"

"Alanna."

She turned her head and saw her sports teacher rushing down the corridor before kneeling by Brianna and helping her up.

"Sir, she just hit me, we were talking and..."

"Okay, okay, you both need to come with me," she said leading them down the corridor to the offices. "You need to see the first aider."

* * *

><p>John opened the door from the garage, holding it open for Randy and the bags of groceries he was carrying as John brought in their gym bags.<p>

He threw the bags into the laundry room to put on tomorrow and returned t0 the kitchen to help Randy unpack the food and drink. Randy was taking his time going through the bags and unpacking and John wished he could set a fire under his ass to get him moving. Randy had become meticulous with the food, making sure everything was in the right place and planning out their meals for the week.

That little tidbit made him laugh as Randy had previously cooked on a whim, now they had Alanna with them he planned every meal to make sure she had all the nutrition she required as a growing teenager. He loved how their lives had changed yet again.

"When did we become an old married couple who don't have sex anymore but go grocery shopping instead?"

Randy looked over his shoulder at John with a bemused look on his face, "No darling, you don't look fat in that."

"What?" John asked puzzled; though he still looked down to check his waistline out.

"Well I figured if you're going to start acting like a woman then I might as well answer the real question on your mind," he said shaking his head at John.

"I'm not a woman."

Randy laughed at him, but grabbed him up in his arms and kissed him hard and quick before grabbing his cock through his Cargo shorts, "Definitely not a woman."

Randy let him go and stepped back to put the grocery bags away, but John held onto him and pulled him back in to a hot steaming kiss, smashing their lips together and forcing his tongue into Randy's mouth.

"Mm darling, someone needs some loving," Randy said pushing John against the kitchen unit. He grabbed his legs, lifted him onto the worktop, and took control of the kiss.

"It's been..." John said when getting air. "...too long."

"Far too long."

Randy pulled John's top up and over his head bearing his chest for his viewing pleasure as his hands travelled down to his pants. As soon as he undid John's pants, his hand pushed in and grabbed John's hardening cock.

"God, I've missed this guy," Randy said kissing John hard again, his tongue returning to its duel with John's.

"Oh honey," John cried breaking off momentarily, but he loved Randy's kisses too much to stop. "Upstairs."

Randy wrapped John's legs around his waist and grabbed his butt, lifting him from the worktop and carrying him through the entryway to the stairs. John adjusted his position in Randy's hold so he could attack Randy's clothing and help him lose the skintight muscle shirt Randy wore.

When they reached the bedroom, Randy threw John onto the bed and pulled his shoes and socks off before divulging John of his shorts leaving him bare.

"Damn darling, this has been missed," he said grabbing his hand and pulling him up and slamming their lips together again.

"No... fair... need you... naked," John said between kisses, sliding his hands into Randy's pants. "Want to... feel you... against me."

Randy kicked his shoes off and John pushed his pants down for Randy to step out of, grizzling when he had to get rid of boxers as well, "Too many layers."

Randy didn't say anything in response; instead, as soon as his clothes were gone, he pushed John down to the mattress, moved over him so their bodies were skin to skin. He hooked a leg around his waist as he held himself up to look John in the eye as he gave what he needed.

"You need this?" Randy said grinding down onto John.

John wrapped an arm around Randy and held onto his bicep, anchoring himself as Randy continued grinding against him repeatedly, their cocks hard between them, rubbing against one another causing friction for them both.

Randy capturing John's lips every time he thrust against him.

John's breathing hitching with every thrust.

His hands travelling the length of Randy's arms.

Gripping his defined biceps.

Circling around to his back and up to his shoulders.

His fingertips digging in.

Randy's thrusts becoming harder and quicker.

"Randy..." John breathed into his ear.

"John... going to..."

"Please."

"Oh god."

Randy grabbed John's butt, bringing closer so there wasn't a slither of air between them.

Their bodies slick with sweat as they reached the precipice.

"Ran. Please. Need to... FUCK," John cried as he released his load between their bodies

"Yes darling. Fuck yes. JOHN DARLING."

Randy sank limp and exhausted against John as the phone's ring tone shrieked through the peaceful space. Randy scrambled off John, reached over to his nightstand still short of breath, and grabbed the phone.

"Hello," he said, trying not to make it obvious he was panting from lack of oxygen, distracted when he felt John placing kisses along his spine. "This is he. What's the matter? Is she okay?"

John's kissing stopped as he sat up concerned over what Randy was hearing.

"I'll be there shortly," he said. "Can I speak with her please? What do you mean no?"

"Ran, what's going on honey?"

"We'll be there shortly. I don't expect you to do anything until we get there," Randy instructed before putting the phone down and jumping up from the bed and heading into the en suite.

"Ran what's going on?" John followed him in concerned.

"Al's been in a fight at school and was taken to the principal's office," he said stepping into the shower leaving the door open to talk with John.

"The same girls?" John asked joining Randy in the shower.

"I don't know, but she better not be hurt again otherwise I'll be causing trouble of my own down there," Randy said getting het up.

"Honey, stay calm, you won't make anything better if you go in with a hot head," John said turning Randy around to face. "Okay?"

"Okay," Randy said taking a deep breath and leaning his head against John's.

"Good, now come on I'll drive us down there," John said pulling him from the shower so they could towel off and dress.

* * *

><p>Randy stormed ahead of John, racing toward the school office. John jogged a few steps to catch up and calm Randy down. The last thing they needed to do was have Randy burst in and start shouting allegations before they knew what had happened.<p>

He laid a hand on him just as they were reaching the office and Randy caught his eyes briefly but it was enough to get an acknowledgement and a deep breath.

They walked in together, a calm and collected pair. Randy looked around and saw Alanna sat on one of the seats outside of the principal's office. As John went up to the front desk to let them know they had been called in, Randy went straight to Alanna and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said with a shrug.

"What happened?" John asked as he reached them and took a seat on the other side of Randy.

"Brianna tried to start something. Slapped me a few times," she said shrugging. "I guess I lost it. I punched her but the teacher saw me hit her and Brianna fell to the floor holding her face."

"Did you tell the teacher you were defending yourself?"

"Brianna got there first and said I just hit her for no reason."

"Have they listened to what you have to say?" John asked shaking his head at the stupidity of the situation.

Before Alanna could answer, the principal's office door opened and she stepped out, her eyes automatically going to Randy and drinking in the sight of him. Randy took another steadying breath, praying she didn't start flirting again; he wasn't in the mood.

"Mr Orton, it's so lovely to see you, if only it were under better circumstances," she said holding her hand out to him.

He played nice and shook her hand before indicating John, "My partner, John Cena."

"Why don't you come in Mr Orton," she said stepping aside so he could enter her office.

Randy signalled for John to go in first wanting to make sure he had support in the room, he was liable to blow a fuse with this woman, especially if she kept up the flirting from his last visit.

"Um, Mr Cena, while I appreciate you are here to support Alanna and her father, I'm afraid-"

"Mrs Taub, he has every right to be in this meeting as I do. John," Randy said nodding to the door. "Al, we'll be back out shortly."

John and Randy took a seat in front of her desk and John's hand immediately went to Randy's thigh as it started bouncing up and down on the spot. Randy placed his own hand over John's and squeezed it, silently thanking him for the support.

"How have you been Mr Orton?"

"Fine, can we get on with this please," Randy said patiently. "I'd like to know exactly what your understanding of the incident is."

"Our Sports teacher caught Alanna hitting Brianna Fishman. Brianna said they were talking when Alanna hit her."

"I take it you've spoken with Alanna to hear her side of what happened?" Randy asked. "I've just spoken with her and she assures me it was self-defence."

"Mr Orton, I appreciate you supporting your daughter, and believing what she has told you. I find it so frequently the case that the aggressive student will always try to say they were defending themselves, however it is rarely the truth."

"Let me ask you a question, when you went through my daughter's transcripts from her previous school, were there any times she was involved in incidents like this? No. And there have been no occasions in the time she has been with this establishment of any such incidents occurring," Randy said impressed with how he was remaining calm.

"Mr Orton, while I admit what you say is true, it does not mean your daughter is not capable of such behaviour, merely that she has not yet been caught," Mrs Taub said firmly believing her words.

"Not yet been-"

"And as such," she interrupted. "I have no option but to suspend Alanna for one week."

"Suspend her?!" Randy clarified. "This is the first time she has ever been in trouble since she got to the school."

"Miss Fishman has been sent home this afternoon where Alanna has attacked her. The poor girl's nose was bleeding when she got to the office and we were only just able to stop it," Mrs Taub defended her decision.

"You are kidding me?" John yelled out of nowhere. "Our daughter arrived home in floods of tears at the beginning of the week because Brianna and two of her friends beat her up. Alanna had a split lip, scratches and bruises to her arms and legs, not to mention a huge bruise to her mid section which we were both concerned may have caused some internal bleeding."

"No such incident-"

"The only reason we didn't take her to the hospital was because she said it wasn't causing her any significant amount of pain. As for 'no such incident' being reported to you, we were protecting Alanna, at her pleading, from further bullying at school from the girls that did this."

"Mr Cena, if this did happen off grounds."

"It was on campus, Alanna said it took place in the girls bathroom," Randy said with a smug look on his face.

"As I say no such incident has been reported, and there is no witness to these alleged events, only Alanna's word," Mrs Taub said.

"Have you even looked at my daughter to see the evidence? Or did you think that we are lousy fathers who did that to her?"

"Regardless of these events, Mr Cena, Mr Orton, I am upholding my decision," Mrs Taub said. "However, if it would please you, I can have a word with the girls who were involved in the alleged attack."

"Don't bother, you clearly seem to be biased to these girls," Randy said calmly, standing up and leaving the room with John. "Come on Al, we're going home."

"John was that you shouting?" she asked as they walked down the corridor toward the exit. "I would have expected dad to be shouting, not you."

"Please don't use me as an example," John said smiling meekly.

As they were walking passed the tennis courts toward the car park, Mike ran to the fence and called her over. Randy and John continued to the car with her bag when she went over to speak to him.

He'd heard about what had happened and had been trying to find an excuse to go up to the office to speak with her.

Alanna relayed her side of the events and he believed what she told him instantly, knowing exactly what Brianna is like. Their conversation was cut short when the sports teacher called him over but he promised to call her over the week and if she wanted, he could take any homework over to her house so she didn't get behind.

Alanna smiled and thanked him, promising to message him after he finished school for the day.

She jogged over to John's truck and climbed in to the passenger seat for the ride home. She could feel the tension in the car and regretted her actions.

"Sorry dad," she said hanging her head.

"Never apologise for defending yourself," John said putting his arm around her.

"How come you're not driving?"

"Ironically, your dad is the calmer of the two of us," John said as timid as he had been before.

"Dad, are you mad at me? You haven't said anything," she asked still concerned. "Look, I promise I won't get into any more fights and I will be on my best behaviour over the rest of the term and throughout summer."

"Al, don't..."

"I promise, but if you aren't happy with my behaviour, then we can move back to St Louis like you planned," she said defeated.

"I am not letting my daughter be run out of town by a couple of immature girls," Randy said starting the car and pulling out of the school grounds.

They'd only gone a few blocks when John broached a subject she hoped they'd ignore.

"So who was that boy you were talking to?"

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed :)**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Get comfy, this one turned into a long chapter**

As John entered the building with two coffees, he took in all the work that had been done on the building. The contractors Randy had chosen had done a great job in removing all of the factory equipment and making it into a good space to teach the kids.

The walls had been made stronger but were left bare at Randy's request. He wanted to bring back the old style schools where it was about the sport and not the facilities. He and a number of other wrestlers had started in such surroundings and they had long and successful careers, and John supported him on his decisions.

He walked through the space to the back of the school where Randy's small office was. They'd found a cheap desk when shopping and Randy purchased a phone for the school. As John walked into the office, Randy was sat on the phone seemingly waiting for someone to pick up.

"Thanks darling," Randy said as took the coffee from John.

John perched on the edge of the desk and Randy automatically put his hand on the exposed skin of John's hamstring. John's eyes flicked shut as Randy gently stroked the skin. They barely had time alone anymore and it was getting to the point where small touches like this were keeping him going.

"Hey, Matt, it's Randy Orton," he said as the phone was answered. "How's my buddy Fat Albert? Really, you lost a hundred pounds?"

"Man must be looking slim," John said chuckling.

"Matt, I wanted to talk to you about a project I'm working on," Randy said sitting up straight at the desk and turning serious. "I'm about to open a wrestling school and I'm looking for a couple of guys I've worked with over the years who know the sport. I know you help out on the road these days but I was hoping you'd be interested."

Randy looked at John who was eager to know the response and whether Randy had his first trainer. He nodded briefly, smiling a little.

"That's great. Listen, are you in Florida now? You're at the Performance Center? Okay, well if you've got the time, why don't you come down to Tampa and take a look," Randy suggested. "The rings are arriving today so John and I will be getting them set up and then I just need one more trainer and some students."

"Yeah, John's going to help out but with his gyms he won't be able to be a full time trainer," Randy explained relaxing and running his hand back along John's lower leg. "Well I'll let you raise that with him, not sure he'll let me get away with calling him my cheerleader."

"Matt, fuck off, I'm not his cheerleader," John shouted down the phone while the three were laughing.

"Right. Yeah. Okay I'll give him a call, cheers Matt. I'll see you later," Randy said with a chuckle.

After Randy hung up, he grabbed John's hand and pulled him from the desk onto his lap, "Kiss me."

"Drink your coffee before it goes cold, you still need to make another call by the sounds of it," John said handing him his drink, though he still gave him a soft kiss to appease him. "Who did Matt suggest you call?"

"Darren," Randy said taking a sip of his coffee while slipping his arm around John's waist and resting it on his stomach.

"Young?"

"Matthews."

"Oh, Mr Regal, he'd be an amazing instructor, gave me a lot of sound advice over the years," John said nodding.

"Apparently he's not coping being injured," Randy said resting his chin on John's shoulder. "Matt thinks it would be a good idea to keep him busy."

"Well, I suggest you get on the phone to him," John said sitting up and removing himself from Randy's lap, even though Randy grizzled. "Oh, Ally wants to cook tonight since we're busy. What do you want me to tell her? We were going to take her out since it's the last day of school."

"Just tell her that I want to cook to relax when I get home," Randy suggested shrugging. "I want her to relax as well; she's had a rough time as of late."

"Okay, I'll give her a call and be on the lookout for the delivery van," John said kissing Randy softly again before disappearing from the room.

Randy located Darren's number on his cell phone and hit the call button. It was only a couple of rings before Darren picked up and they had a good chat catching up. It had been a few years since Randy had seen him and Darren was always a good laugh.

When they were caught up with life, Randy mentioned about his school and how he was looking for some trainers. Darren was a little concerned over Randy's invitation but Randy played to his strengths and told him what John had told him about always having sage advice, and how if wanted the best to instruct the students, especially if he wanted top talents to come out of the school.

He must have spent over an hour on the phone to Darren discussing what his plans were for the school and Darren started throwing around ideas of what they could do to help the students get the best experiences before leaving the school.

By the end of the phone call, Randy had secured another instructor and Darren was going to get hold of Matt to get him to pick him up on his way to the school.

Randy grabbed his coffee and downed the almost cold drink as he walked through to the main area where John was opening up the first of many boxes with the ring equipment in.

"Remind me why we said we were going to put these things together and not get a couple of experts in from the tour," Randy said looking at the parts John had already unpacked.

"Because we're grown men who should be able to handle putting together a few rings," John said looking confused at the instructions he'd found. "It never looked this complicated when the guys did this."

"I haven't put a ring together since we were in OVW," Randy said shaking his head. "You want me to take a look?"

"Well, you follow recipes, instructions are the non-food version," John said opening the next box.

Randy took the instructions from him and crashed out on one of the mats in the room so he could read them. After another half hour of unpacking and reading, John and Randy had sorted through the items and put them in piles for each ring.

They tackled the first ring within an hour and a half and lots of snarky comments to one another, if they'd tried doing this a few months ago, Randy was sure they would have ended up punching each other out. As it was, they threw each other in a couple of headlocks to relieve the tension. Whenever they did, they would have a skirmish with each other and John even performed the Attitude Adjustment on Randy to one of the mats.

Randy let him try to get a pin but kicked out and then grabbed him up round the waist and hit him with an amateur move he learnt at high school so John was face down on the mat. He pinned his hands to the mat and thrust against John until John tapped out. Randy could have continued since he had been over a fortnight again since they'd had any time alone, but he reminded John they had people coming.

Randy held in his frustrations before he and John returned to the finishing the ring. After they completed the first one, they moved to the second one and completed it in half the time. The third was completed quicker again and Randy pulled John into him and kissed him, thanking him for his help.

They were still sharing a kiss when they were interrupted.

"Oh how... sweet," Darren said in his Regal persona. "It makes me want to find myself a buxom wench for the night."

Randy laughed it off and went to greet the men before showing them around the facilities. When Matt asked about weight training, John explained that they would each receive a programme from Rob at Hard Nock's and then they could have any free membership to either Hard Nock's or JC's whichever they prefer.

"But, now the rings are set up, I need to get some footage of this place so it can be used on the website," Randy said as John went to the office to grab the camcorder.

"You also need to put a call out for applicants," John reminded him. "The website guy said he'd cut a video together for you so you can post to all of the social media sites you want to use."

"Let's get the facilities done first," Randy said. "It's been a while since I've done any on camera work, might take a number of takes."

"Randy you never lose it," Matt said slapping him on the back.

"Especially when it's so close to your own personality," John piped up. "I never thought I would be dating the Viper, Randy Orton yes... and I'll just shut up for now."

John was trying not to laugh at the viper stare his lover was giving him so he turned away and started recording the facilities.

"Darren, you can write some stuff down for Randy couldn't you?" Matt asked. "You're usually good at that stuff."

"Yeah, is there any paper in the office to scrawl on?"

"Yeah, on the desk," Randy said. "Cheers Darren. I was thinking that for the marketing videos we could get some shots of us in the ring, you know kind of like some of the WWE shots. You know, stood in the ring, and then in a signature pose."

"Sounds good, just one thing," Matt said with a smirk. "Don't do the hitting the mat with your fists."

"Why not, I liked it when he did that move," John said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Exactly, and if you're recording it, you may end up jumping in the ring like some fan boy," Matt said laughing with Randy.

"Whatever," John said faking a sulk. "How about you get in the ring so I can get your stuff."

Matt jumped in the ring and performed for the camera including messing about for a few shots. Randy jumped in the ring next so they could record some material and Matt jokingly took the camera off John and told him to take a seat outside the ring, he didn't want him getting worked up. As they finished Randy's segment Darren returned from the office with some wording and while Randy read it through, Darren recorded some shots and like Matt had a laugh in front of the camera as well, including going into a diatribe about his circus like family.

Randy was laughing outside the ring with John as they watched the pair mucking about and he grabbed the camera when they started scuffling about in the ring and performing some moves.

The four of them discussed what Darren had written and only changed a couple of details and then Randy nervously got in front of the camera to run it through. As he suspected, it took him a couple of takes but then he got into character and ran it through in one shot.

"So if you want to learn from the best, the viper, the face of the WWE, post a video to OrtonWrestling using the hash tag Applicant by the end of July and Matt Bloom, Darren Matthews ," he said pointing to Matt and Darren on either side of him. "And I will take a look and let you know if you've been accepted for the next term starting in September."

By the time John and Randy finished, uploaded the videos to the laptop, and sent them to his website designer, it was nearly time for dinner. They raced home and Randy made reservations while John was driving so they could go in, change, and then be back out the door again.

As it was when they got home, Alanna was sat talking with her new friend, Mike out on the patio and before Randy could even greet them, John was on the phone to the restaurant changing the reservation to a table for four people.

* * *

><p>Randy groaned as he stretched out next to John in bed, the shrill sound of the phone blasting through his unconscious and bringing him back to the waking world.<p>

"At least you're having fun in your sleep," John murmured before stretching and rubbing himself against Randy.

"I wouldn't, it's a rock this morning, and you were working some magic in my dreams. I'd disappoint you," Randy said snuggling into John and holding him close.

"Are you going to get that," John reminded him of the phone.

Randy sighed and rolled onto his back to reach for the phone, before he could get to it, the ringing stopped, "never mind, they can call back," he said turning back to John.

"Fine," John replied snuggling back into Randy's arms. They shifted position slightly to get comfortable and silently agreed to get a little more sleep. Just as they were drifting off the bedroom door flew open with Alanna announcing her presence.

"I was sleeping," she said throwing the phone on the bed. "I had to get up to answer it. You have to reach across to the nightstand."

"Hello?" Randy asked ignoring Alanna's griping.

John pulled out of Randy's hold and padded across the bedroom to the en suite, grizzling about their daughter no longer worrying about walking in and catching them going at it.

"Hi Steph. No we had a busy day yesterday so had a late morning," Randy said looking at the clock. It was only nine in the morning but it was much later than they usually got up. "She's doing really well. Took a while to settle in but she's an amazing girl... I know, I'm biased. How are your girls?"

Randy made small talk with Stephanie for a while, and listened as she mentioned she wasn't happy with Paul for trying to interfere in his or John's business ventures. She offered her support for the wrestling school and told him if there was anything she could do to make it a success then to let her know.

"Randy, the reason I'm calling is because I wanted to meet with you and John today. I'm flying down to the Performance Center and hoped you would come and meet with me there."

"Umm, well, it's Cody's birthday and there's a party. Apparently, I'm catering so I won't be able to make it, John's in the shower so I can get him to call you afterward and he might be able to meet with you as long as he can be back in time for the party. Ted will be mad if he's not there, Cody as well," Randy said jokingly. "Alternatively, you could always come down to Tampa and meet with us here, as long as you don't mind me getting on with the food."

"Yeah, that sounds good. As long it doesn't interfere with your plans," Stephanie said.

"No, I mean the party doesn't start until eight because Ted and Cody are heading out first," Randy said, suddenly nervous that he'd let slip about the pair. "I think Ted mentioned something about getting some drinks, as a ruse... oh they told you... they told everyone, really? Isn't that nice to know... yeah we'll see you later Steph. Bye."

Randy hit the end button on the phone and ambled out of the bedroom and down the stairs to return the phone to the stand in the hallway. He heard the television on in the family room and went in, apologising to Alanna for making her get up to answer the phone, promising to make breakfast after he'd had a shower.

He dragged himself back up the stairs and went straight to the en suite, removing his pyjama bottoms before trying to sneak into the shower with John. At the last moment, John turned round and left the shower.

"Hey, whoa, what's the matter?" Randy asked catching John by the wrist.

"I'm tired still," John said quietly, though Randy suspected it was something else.

"Come on darling," he said leading John to the bed. "What's really the matter?"

"Randy, honey, I know we're not as young as we were, and I know we have a teenage daughter in the house, but we haven't been together... properly... in nearly two months."

"Darling, you don't think I'm feeling it," Randy said hooking his legs around John. "I wake up hard, hell even this conversation has me half hard," he indicated the semi between their bodies. "I'm going to bed wanting to pin you to the mattress and fuck you until the sun comes up."

"Ran, don't be so crass," John said not in the mood for Randy's graphic comment.

"And that's exactly the reason why I don't give in," he said whispering into John's ear. "I want to lay you down and make sweet, arduous love to you. I was in heaven when we at least got to have some contact, even if I didn't get as far as I would have liked."

"I guess it was a relief," John chuckled, learning his head on Randy's shoulder. "I'm just frustrated. We use to go at it most days. Sunday mornings would be spent in bed, now everything's changed but my body isn't ready to give that up."

"Your body won't ever be ready to give it up, you'll be horny on your death bed," Randy joked.

"Like you can talk, Mr Rock Hard," John shoved at Randy.

"I can always help you out, give you some more relief," Randy said laying John down on the bed and sliding his hand down his stomach toward the towel wrapped around John's waist.

John stopped his descent, shaking his head, that wouldn't be a good idea, he'd only want more afterward. He kissed Randy gently and sent him off to the shower, advising him to have it slightly colder than he usually did.

John grabbed some clothes and changed heading downstairs where he joined Alanna on the sofa watching breakfast television.

"What time is everyone getting here tonight?" she asked scoffing some cereal.

"Ted and Cody are here for eight so everyone else was told to be here for seven thirty," John said yawning.

"So anytime after seven then," Alanna said jokingly. "Can Mike come? If his folks don't mind that is."

"It's fine by me but ask your dad as well, he's been in charge of organising it from this end," John said. "He may not have done enough food and I don't want him freaking out when the plates start emptying."

She nodded as she ate a mouthful of cereal while watching a cooking programme.

John closed his eyes for a few moments and when he opened them again, he was led down on the sofa with a blanket over him. Randy was in the kitchen mixing something in a bowl and Alanna was nowhere to be seen. He sat up and stretched his body out receiving a wolf whistle from Randy. He smirked back at him and rose from the sofa making his way over to the kitchen.

"Sorry for being a grizzly bear earlier," he said sliding his arms around Randy, letting his hands travel up to his chest. "How long was I out?"

"Just over an hour," Randy said handing John the bowl. "Can you continue mixing this, I have something to do."

"Yeah, sure," John said still feeling sleepy. He took the bowl from Randy and started mixing only for Randy to grab his head and kiss him firmly yet softly. "Mm, honey, what was that for?"

"Because I love you, and wanted to make sure you know it," Randy said taking the bowl back from John. "Now if you want to help, you can grab the food from under the grill and go and eat it."

"Fine but I like watching you cook, so I'll keep you company here if I'm not in the way, where's Ally?"

"Mike called," Randy said grimacing.

"The kid's alright, and they're not dating, just friends," John chuckled. "Besides he's way better than the last guy she bought home."

"I forgot to tell you," Randy said changing the subject. "Stephanie is visiting today; she wants to have a word with us about something."

"Something?"

"She didn't say, but I'll give you two guesses, though you'll only need one," Randy said.

John didn't respond and just kept eating his breakfast while Randy worked on the quiche he was making for the evening. Although Randy loved the business and missed it from time to time, he had come to terms with no longer being on the tour and retiring from active wrestling. John however, still missed it, and if it weren't for his injury time taking over his wrestling time, he would still be on tour and wrestling every night.

He loved his life with Randy, and now with Alanna, but he missed being on the road and entertaining the fans.

"Are you that against it?" John asked after Randy put the quiche in the oven.

"No, and now would be a good time to do it, Al's on her summer break," Randy said putting his dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

"Then what is it?"

"I have three concerns; one, Al won't like the fall out of us being back on television every week. She hasn't had to deal with that since she was a young kid," Randy said. "Two, we'd need to have large input into the storyline. I've said before, they will want to do something revolving around our relationship and I don't want it turned into a mockery."

"And three?"

"You," Randy said simply.

"Me?"

"Yes, you, you idiot. You were injured so much when you retired, I don't want to see you in that state again. You're far too important to me."

"Well, I have a way around that," John said putting his plate in the dishwasher and then consoling Randy. "I will let you take all the falls."

"Gee, thanks," Randy said rolling his eyes trying not to laugh.

"If you get injured, I could even play doctor," John said sliding his hand under the hem of Randy's short and running his fingers over the skin at the bottom of his back.

Randy kissed him, muttering about false promises, and John left him to it, making them a drink and then sitting at the counter watching Randy work.

As Randy worked and John sat keeping him company, they talked through the possibilities for a return to the ring, and both agreed it would only be a short-term thing. No one was going to talk them into a full time return. Life wouldn't allow it even if they wanted to.

John's body was starting to give out on him before he retired and Randy was on light duties because he was physically able to keep up with the schedule.

They knew they could still do short bursts of work if they wanted, but when they were retired, they both fell easily into their new lives, especially with John opening a second gym. Now with Alanna living with them, they wouldn't be able to do the travelling required on a regular basis and neither had even considered it an issue when Alanna moved down to live with them.

Alanna reappeared with Mike having spent some time at the park and they decided to come back to the house so they could do some research for their history projects.

Alanna ran up to her room to grab her iPad and Mike stood awkwardly in the room waiting. It wasn't helping that Randy was trying to stare him down. John sat nursing a cup of coffee trying not to laugh at how scared the boy looked, or how pathetic Randy was, trying to scare the boy as he dusted the top of a swiss roll with icing sugar.

"Grow up," John whispered to Randy wishing he could kick him.

Randy took his eyes off the boy when Alanna returned and the pair went out onto the patio to start work.

John made himself useful and made Alanna and Mike some drinks and then returned to his spot keeping Randy company, not to mention he wanted to stay nearby in case Randy started interfering in Alanna's friendship.

* * *

><p>"Come on in Steph. Randy will be here in a second, he needed to change his shirt, he's covered in food product," John said showing Stephanie into the den.<p>

"I hope Randy passed on my apologies for Paul's behaviour a few months ago, he had no right to try and interfere with either of your businesses," Stephanie said as she sat down.

"Randy did, and we don't hold a grudge, Paul saw a business opportunity and was indirectly trying to help me out. Thankfully, in the end, Randy was able to bring everyone together and we overcame it. The gym is thriving again."

"Excellent. And I hear Randy's school will be up and running in September," she said as Randy walked in.

"Yep, got a couple of crack instructors in Matt and Darren, I did have to give in to John's pleading and let him help out a little as well," Randy said smirking sideways at John. "So I said he could be the janitor."

"I can see you two haven't changed," she said laughing with them.

It wasn't long before Stephanie got down to business and as they had expected, she wanted to discuss a return to the ring, culminating in a match at SummerSlam.

John told her they'd already discussed how they wanted it to go, and although they were happy for the creative team to come up with the storyline as well as the talent they worked with, they did want the final okay on it. They also wanted to be able to wrestle leading up to the Pay per View and not just have in ring segments and interviews.

Stephanie was happy with their requirements, expecting nothing less from the pair and advised them she already had the creative team working on possible storylines, including one where Randy reunited with Paul and went up against John causing conflict between the pair.

Before Stephanie could go even further explaining the storyline, Randy refused to take part in the idea without explaining why.

"Okay, well, as I say, our creative team is already hard at work coming up with the bare bones of the idea, so how about I email you some details by the end of the day and we can confirm details over the phone tomorrow?"

"When are you looking for this to start?" John asked suddenly realising they were at the end of June and SummerSlam was in the middle of August.

"We thought next Monday, the show will be in Tampa and it seems the ideal location, any storyline can start with you both visiting your old friends," she explained.

Randy looked at John and shrugged, they both knew it was a lot quicker than they expected and they would need to make plans to shut up the house for the summer. They were already planning to head over to St Louis for a portion of the summer to decorate the house, so if they went on tour next week then they might as well bring their other plans forward.

"We just need to check with Ally," John said. "She knows you've wanted this for a while, but we don't want to agree to something if she's not going to be okay with it."

Stephanie understood and left the pair to their day promising to email them by the day's end and call tomorrow to discuss. They both saw her out and then headed back to the kitchen so Randy could continue his work.

"You know that idea of hers would only have been acting, nothing would have been wrong between us," John said taking Randy's hand before he could start work again.

"I know, but we've had a couple of occasions where we've had problems this year and I don't want to relive those feelings," Randy said squeezing John's hand.

* * *

><p>Randy excused himself from his conversation with Dustin when he saw John enter the room with a smile. They both made a beeline for each other and John handed him the drink he'd disappeared to get a half hour before.<p>

"The wanderer returns," Randy said kissing John after taking the drink from him.

"I got caught up with Cody, he's all giddy that the party has been thrown for him, and was continuously praising Ted for all his hard work," John said shaking his head.

"The little fink, you wait until I see him," Randy said looking around the room. "Have you seen Al?"

"She's sat on the stairs with Mike, pointing out the wrestlers he used to watch when he was a kid," John explained. "I think she likes the fact that he doesn't think she's a freak for being part of a wrestling family."

"As long as he isn't trying anything," Randy said seriously.

"After your staring contest earlier, it's a wonder the kid even came to the party," John laughed pointing out Cody as he walked through the door.

"Hey, Randy, thank you for all your hard work with the cooking, everything is delicious," Cody said throwing his arms around Randy.

"How many have you had to drink, Codes?"

"Only one," he said removing his arms from Randy and putting them back around Ted.

"Make that five or six," Ted said removing Cody's arms and taking hold of his hand.

Randy and John laughed at the state Cody was in suggested to Ted they take him over to the kitchen area and make him a pot of strong coffee to help sober him up.

After Ted managed to drag Cody away from them, Randy pulled John close, "You know if everyone is downstairs, no one will notice if we disappear up-stairs."

"And how do you presume we get up there with Ally sat on the stairs?" John said pushing back into Randy to see what state he was in. He couldn't feel anything stirring but he knew it wouldn't take Randy long once they were alone.

"You go up the staircase, and I'll go via the balcony stairs," Randy suggested. "No one will expect anything is out of sorts."

"I guess I'll see you in a couple of minutes then," John said smiling before rubbing himself against Randy.

John fled the room and headed out to the entryway where a large number of people stood mingling in their groups and some were disappearing into the den, apparently there was a hockey match on. As he went to go up the stairs Alanna stopped him questioning him where he was going, and John said he needed the bathroom but the one downstairs was in use.

Not suspecting anything, Alanna allowed John to go upstairs and he disappeared as casually as possible, locking the bedroom door as soon as he was inside. He was hoping Randy would have already been there but it didn't faze him and he whipped his shirt off and lay on the bed facing the balcony, waiting patiently for Randy, his body already reacting to the idea of what Randy would be doing to him.

He closed his eyes imagining Randy's touch, the feel of his soft lips kissing his way down his sternum, picturing what he would do to him when he hit the top of his pants. John's hand slipped down to rub his cock, hoping to keep it in check so Randy could have maximum amount of fun. Then, Randy would be doing the same, making sure everything he did was for John's enjoyment.

The minutes went by and John's imagination stopped when he realised Randy was taking far too long to get upstairs. He went over to the balcony doors and slid them open as quietly as possible to see if he could hear Randy approaching up the stairs. When he didn't hear anything, he slid his shirt back on and stepped out onto the balcony. He leaned over the side and couldn't see anyone but Ted, Cody, Dustin and Paul Wight sat around talking.

Both physically and emotionally deflated, John went back in and unlocked the bedroom door, heading back down to the party. He went through to the kitchen and family area but couldn't see Randy, though he did spot Alanna and Mike sat talking with Tyler Breeze.

He went out to the patio to see if Randy had been there but was out of his view but it was only the same people sat out there, and it was only now that John noticed Ted was trying to sober Cody up with coffee. If he weren't so annoyed at Randy's disappearing act, he may have allowed himself a smirk and maybe even make a comment to Ted and Cody while joining them for their conversation.

He managed to get away before being spotted and checked the den, as soon as he stood in the doorway, he could see Randy sat in one of the chairs, avidly watching the hockey match with the others guys and a couple of the girls who were hanging out with them.

John leant against the door, trying to look as though he were interested in the match, and maybe once upon a time he would have been, but he'd long ago lost track of the NHL. After a minute or two of waiting for Randy to make his excuses and leave the room, John gave up suddenly needing fresh air.

He grabbed a drink from the table they'd set up in the entryway and walked out the house bumping into a couple of the girls on his way out.

"Where are you going?"

"It's too crowded in there," John said as he walked by trying to act normal, though he was struggling to hold on to his frustrations.

"Are you okay? Do you want me to get Randy?" Brie Danielson called after him.

"No, I'm fine, thanks Brie, say hello to your sister," John said back as he headed off down the street not even knowing where he was going.

Before he even got to the end of the road, he heard his name being called from the house, and he recognised the voice immediately. Brie had obviously told Randy that he'd left and didn't seem like himself. He was ready to deal with Randy, and kept walking. When Randy didn't give up and kept coming after him, John stepped into the kid's playground that was round the corner from where they lived.

He perched on the swing, barely able fit on the seat, but he managed it. Seconds later Randy came running round the corner and knelt down in from of him, running his hands up his thighs in a soothing manner.

"Didn't mean to take you away from the hockey," John said without looking at Randy.

"I know, I got caught by the guys and dragged in there. I couldn't get away and after five minutes I figured you'd realise what had happened," Randy said sounding earnest.

"I guess it's plausible," John muttered.

"I was waiting for you to come and find me," Randy explained trying to get John to look at him. "I had plans to drag you down into the chair with me and we could watch it together."

"I wasn't really in the mood for hockey, since you were the one who got me in the mood for something else," John snapped.

"I know darling, I'm sorry," Randy tried to calm him. "I was more than in the mood myself."

"You couldn't have been, you were able to forget about me and get into that game. If you were waiting for me to show up, you would have been looking out for me," John said. "I stood there for a couple of minutes and the most you did was yell at the screen with the rest of them."

"I know you're frustrated-"

"I'm beyond frustrated, Randy. I'm at the point where I'd stroke off here in this park even though we could be arrested for indecent exposure, just because I need some relief, not that it is likely to help because it'll only give me a day's relief at the most."

"John, dar-"

"I just want us to have some one on one time where there are no interruptions, no phones, no kids, no friends, no family, just you and me and a bed," John said, sounding close to begging.

"I know, I want that as well," Randy said pushing up from the ground. "I want to be able to hold you down and turn you into a hot sweaty mess before I even start making love to you. Then once I'm inside you, I'd take you to the edge two or three times before I give you the relief we've both needed for a long time."

"Then do it," John said storming over to Randy. "Turn me into that guy, the guy who will cum so hard they can't stop spilling their seed. The guy that moans when he can feel his lover getting close to the edge himself, and then filling him up as he screams out his own orgasm."

"What do you want me to do? If you want to get that loud, we wouldn't be able to do it at the house tonight, or any night for that matter, not as long as Al's there. Do you want me to take you out in the truck, pull down some dirt road and have you in the back of the truck?" Randy said grabbing John up in his arms. "Maybe take you to some seedy motel so you can get as loud as the prostitutes who take their tricks there. That's not who we are."

"I just want you to make love to me. Not get me in the mood then call a halt to the proceedings," John said his frustration obvious. "You did it yesterday as well, when you pinned me to the mat. You were thrusting against me and then stopped saying we had to get back to work."

"I don't mean to do that, John. I can't help it, it happens, I get you near me, and it's been so long that my body takes over. Even when my brain knows I shouldn't be doing it," Randy said turning his back on John. He hated that he was causing his lover to be in this situation. He wished he could lay him down right there and take his time, kissing every inch of his skin before going any further. He cherished the body of his lover and couldn't stand the idea that he was getting into the state he was in.

"Ran, honey, I know you don't," John said trying to calm his emotions. He was taking his frustration out on Randy and it wasn't his fault. "We're a couple of old horn dogs who have been leashed and I'm overreacting."

John moved round Randy so they were facing one another and he pulled his down into a soft slow building kiss, "I love you."

"I love you too," Randy said puzzled. "I've never doubted that, and I hope you've never doubted me."

"Never," John said pressing their foreheads together gently. "And hey, think of it this way, maybe when we hit the road we might get some time alone."

"Well, I think we can trust Al with her own room," Randy said. "And who knows she might end up across the hall, rather than next door to us."

"I like the way your mind thinks," John smiled.

"Come on darling, we better get back before someone thinks we've eloped," Randy said pulling John into his side and putting his arm around his shoulder.

"I don't want to have parties here anymore, they never go smoothly for us," John said leaning against Randy.

"Well, at least I'm sleeping in my own bed tonight," Randy said nudging John with his shoulder.

"We need to check for that email from Stephanie," John suddenly remembered.

"Well at least that's one thing that went smoothly, I was concerned Al wouldn't want to leave Florida for the summer considering she's met this Mike kid," Randy said as they neared the house.

"I think she was already expecting to leave Florida anyway since we were talking about decorating the house in St Louis," John said pulling Randy up the driveway. "Come on, it sounds like someone has finally found the sound system and I wouldn't mind getting a slow dance with my honey."

"No bumping and grinding," Randy warned.

"Agreed!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed :)**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: Haven't forgotten the story, but as I explained previously, I'm back to work and have to write around my schedule.**

**I should mention that we are also on the home straight for this story, only 9 chapters left.**

**Oh, we're also nearing the 300th review so if its you, I'll send you a message about a Centon only oneshot (no MPreg or abuse stories, I can't bring myself to write those, sorry)**

* * *

><p><em>Monday Night Raw – Orlando, Florida<em>

"Please welcome your guest host of Monday Night Raw," the ring announcer called as the show went live on TV. There is a moments silence before John's music fills the arena and the WWE Universe go berserk at the sound.

John walks out onto the stage and goes automatically into his old mannerisms and interacting with the crowd. He went to pull down his shirt but shrugged when he realised he wasn't wearing a WWE shirt, but instead one he'd pulled from Randy's drawer that morning before they left the house.

He was wearing one of his old baseball caps and stood tall and proud before saluting to the crowd and ran down the ramp. As he hit the bottom of the ramp, his music was interrupted by 'Voices' and he stopped his run and put his hands on his hips looking back a little bemused.

The crowds were worked into frenzy upon hearing Randy's music and went even further into the frenzy when Randy stepped out onto the stage. John watched as his lover stood at the top of the ramp and looked out into the WWE crowd. Randy looked good though he couldn't put his finger on what seemed out of place as Randy slowly made his way down the ramp.

John checked his watch, exaggerating the fact that Randy was taking his time. When Randy stopped next to him, John stood looking at him while shaking his head. Randy looked puzzled but smirked.

John ran the short distance to the ring and slid under the bottom rope, as was his usual style, while Randy walked up the steel steps and grabbed their microphones before entering the ring. It was when Randy handed off the microphones and climbed to the second rope to pose, that John realised what was out of place. He was used to seeing Randy heading to the ring in just his wrestling gear. It was rare that Randy wore pants on the show, though for once, as he tried to get a discreet look, John was glad Randy was wearing the tight jeans and t-shirt.

Randy stepped down from the ropes and John indicated for him to start on the microphone. Randy shook his head and sat on the back turnbuckle letting John have the spotlight. John smirked and shook his head at Randy, realizing that Randy was having fun as much as he, at least in his own way.

"Well, well, well, it's been a while," John said turning serious as he spoke. "The last time I was stood in a WWE ring, I was telling the WWE Universe I had to call it a day."

The crowd started a 'welcome back' chant, which John held out the microphone to encourage them.

"I know I speak for both of us when I say, it's good to be back. Truth is, I didn't want to leave. My whole life was wrestling, it was hard to make that decision, and even as I walked down to the ring that night, I was still trying to decide what to do," John explained passionately. "In the end the reason I knew it was time to go, let my body recover properly, was because I was able to look around the locker room and see the likes of Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Bray Wyatt and I knew I was leaving it in safe hands.

"Even now I sit at home and watch the newest generation of wrestlers starting to come through and I can't wait to see what's to come. So much so, that I want to see what will happen when you put Bray, Daniel and Roman in a six-man tag against Fergal Devitt, Marcus Louis, and Tye Dillinger" he said letting the crowd cheer their appreciation of the match. "But, there are also those who were here before I left and had a lot of potential to live up to. One such person is someone I know Randy has some mixed history with, the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Ted DiBiase."

The mention of his friends name had Randy hopping down from the turnbuckle and stepping up alongside John. John steps back and lets Randy have the spotlight, mimicking Randy by sitting on the top turnbuckle.

Randy stalked the ring for a moment before speaking, "John's right. I have a chequered history with Ted DiBiase. Once upon a time, we were a part of a faction that looked to the future. Myself... Ted DiBiase... and Cody Rhodes. Now depending on what time of year it was, we could all be on the same page and leaving a wake of destruction in our paths," he said looking back toward John who had taken a lot of punishment during that time. "Then again we could be split, Ted and Cody deciding that, of all people, I was the weak link of the group. As it turns out, I was the strong link and I kicked both their asses at WrestleMania XXVI."

The crowd cheered at reference to the match and Randy took a moment to allow them to voice their opinion.

"It seems even sixteen years later, Ted and Cody can't get along, and the matches they have had over the last year have been some of the best I have seen during my time in the business and call me selfish, but I wouldn't mind seeing another match between the two," Randy said the crowd erupting yet again. "So tonight, one on one, in this very ring, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase will compete for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a Falls Count Anywhere match."

Before John and Randy could continue their interaction with the audience, music hit and Becky Lynch stormed down to the ring.

"It's nice that you get to have your gglory," she said snatching a microphone from John. "You've set a match up for all the top guys and future top gguys of the business. Just like usual. How about you do something different than every other person to come in as guest host."

"And what you suggest that is?" Randy said stepping into her space.

"Your friend here is always talking about the future of the WWE, about the little guys, the guys just coming into the business, yet both of you have set matches for those at or nearing the top of the heap," Becky ranted at Randy, not threatened by him invading her space. "How about you do something different?"

"Okay, how about this? Since you're dressed for action, how about a divas battle royal, right now," Randy suggested.

John took the microphone back from Becky, "I'll make it even better, the winner of the battle royal, gets a title shot for the Divas Championship. But since Paige already has a match set for the next Pay per View, the winner will have to face Paige at SummerSlam."

"Best of luck," Randy said brushing passed Becky on his way out of the ring with John.

* * *

><p><em>After the match<em>

"She's actually a good wrestler," Randy commented as the camera cut back to he and John sat in their office backstage.

John is sitting next to him in the office and while Randy has his feet up on the coffee table, clearly relaxed and enjoying being the one in charge rather than wrestling, John is finding it harder to relax. That was the difference between the two men these days, wrestling was Randy's life, but he was just as happy now to sit back and watch others put their bodies on the line. He'd taken his share of bumps over the years, suffered enough injuries, especially with his shoulders, now it was someone else's turn. For John, being around the business, he just wanted to be out in the ring wrestling. Sitting back and playing host wasn't his idea of fun.

"Will you relax," Randy said. "That was the first match and a divas match; you wouldn't have been able to compete in it anyway."

"Okay, okay," John said holding his hands up in defeat. "Next match I promise, I'll relax."

Before they could finish speaking, the office door smashed in and Cody sauntered into their office. It was clear he was there to see Randy so the taller man stood and went face to face with Cody. It looked for a moment like Cody was going to start yelling in his face but in the end, he offered his hand out in friendship.

"Cody, good to see you," Randy said tentatively taking Cody's hand.

"Randy, John," he nodded to John who still sat on the sofa. John acknowledged Cody but shifted his position on the sofa so he could see the television screen. "I wanted to stop by and thank you for the title shot."

"You're welcome," Randy said shifting his weight causing John to tut and tilt his head round as Randy blocked the screen again. "I should say though, I didn't do it for you."

"Either way, that belt is coming back where it belongs. Ted's WrestleMania win was a fluke and every match after that," Cody said shaking his head.

"I watched those matches, it was no fluke," Randy rebutted. "You underestimated Ted and you lost because it. If I were you, I'd be preparing for my match right now."

"I guess I should," Cody said holding Randy's stern look.

Cody left the room and Randy stood watching his make his exit only to be hit in the leg by John. He looked down at John who was staring up at him.

"I'd like to be able to watch the match," John said indicating that Randy was blocking the television.

Randy looked at the screen and saw the ring announcer making his way into the ring, with no wrestlers in sight.

"There's no one in the ring yet," Randy said sitting back down on the sofa.

* * *

><p><em>Two matches later<em>

"I can't believe Big E, how could he do that to me," Zack said storming through the back holding his head.

"Baby," Paige complained as she followed him. "It was a mistake. Big E didn't mean anything by it."

"I don't care, I've had enough," Zack yelled back.

"Ah the dulcet tones of thee Long Island Iced Z," John said walking up behind Zack.

There was a small cheer from the crowd as John stepped onto screen again and Zack took his time to turn around. When he did his grin returned to his face and he was beaming in excitement, exactly how he used to whenever John would make a fleeting appearance on his YouTube show.

"Woo Woo Woo," John said jokingly fist pumping the air.

"You know it," Zack finished. "Dude, how you been?"

"I've been good, thank you," John said with a non-committal tone and his usual polite smile and nod.

"I wasn't sure if you were going to come say hey or not."

"Being host to this show keeps you busy," John said with a shrug. "I see things are going well for you, even if tonight didn't go as planned."

"Dude, definitely, I got the IC title, had it for the last six months," Zack said patting the belt sat over his shoulder.

"I was actually meaning," John said nodding his head to Paige.

"Oh right, yeah, Paige," Zack said. "Paige, you know John don't you?"

"I was around when John was wrestling," Paige said with a smile.

"Dude we should so-"

"John, I'm sorry to interrupt," a member of the WWE personnel said. "Um, Randy asked me to find you. Said he needed you in the office."

"Okay, I'll be there," John said turning back to Zack. "Good seeing you Zack. Paige."

John walked down the corridor without looking back toward Zack. Zack stared at him, shooting daggers down the corridor.

"I can't believe it," Zack said shaking his head.

"What?" Paige sounded exasperated. "You and John are friends right?"

"We were, apparently not as good as I thought. I can't believe he just blew me off," Zack said. "I guess he's spent too much time with Randy."

* * *

><p><em>After the show<em>

"Okay, some stuff was lame, but I guess it's just the first week right?" Alanna said as John drove them to the hotel they were staying at.

"We were just reintroducing ourselves to the audience, it's been a while," Randy said trying to hold back a yawn. "Those people in the crowd were a lot younger when we left; some of them were just small kids. We needed to pick up new followers."

"I think it was good, we seemed to get cheered and I'm pretty sure I didn't get any Let's Go Cena, Cena sucks chants," John said smiling over at Randy.

"Give it time, darling," Randy laughed.

John pulled the car into the hotel and let the valet have the keys for the car as they grabbed their bags from the back. They checked for messages with the front desk before heading up to the floor they were staying on. Alanna had been given her own room across from theirs. When they reached their rooms, Randy and John told Alanna to come over in ten minutes and they would have something to eat from room service.

As soon as they were in the ring together, Randy was on the phone and ordering something from the menu.

"Food here yet," Alanna said as she entered the room using the key they provided for her.

"They said ten minutes," Randy said coming out from the bedroom in a pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt. When Alanna sat in the comfy chair in front of the television and started flicking through channels, Randy nudged John. "Where did you put it?"

"In the safe with our passports, combination is your birthday," John whispered as he checked through his bag for his pyjamas. "Did you unpack my clothes?"

"What clothes?" Randy asked as he went over to the safe.

"My pyjama bottoms," John said still rifling through the bag.

"Yeah, they're on the bed," Randy said going over to John and spotting the mess he'd made of his bag. "Ah to be on the road again. John Cena and a messed up bag. Don't start complaining tomorrow morning when you don't have any tidy clothes."

"Like you would do anything about it, you leave the clothes to me," John said swatting Randy's butt on the way to the bedroom to change.

Alanna rolled her eyes as she heard them bickering. She jumped from her chair when there was a knock on the door, grateful not to have to listen to them anymore. Since being on the road, her dads were acting more like they were in college than in their forties. She opened the door and let room service in.

"Dad, food's here," she called to let him know he needed to pay.

While Randy paid for their meal, Alanna took the lids from each of the plates and set them out on the table along with the cutlery and drinks. The three of them sat down at the table and ate their meal together, talking again, about how they felt the show went.

"Al, we wanted to have a word with you about something," Randy said looking to John for him to contribute.

"We know we said we would be going to St Louis next week," he said taking a mouthful of food.

"The thing is, as much as we have things to do with the condo," Randy continued. "Well-"

"Dad, you promised we were going back, that we could do something with Grandma and Grandpa," Alanna whined. "Please. It's not like you can wrestle if you go on tour. You said that wouldn't happen until you have a match on Raw."

"Let us explain," John said trying to calm the situation. "It's just something has come up that is more important than decorating."

"What?" Alanna said disappointed not to be going back to St Louis.

Randy handed her an envelope with a gold bow around it, smiling at her shocked and confused face. She took it off him and she tore into the envelope.

"It's a week early, but happy birthday," Randy said smiling with John.

"Oh my god, oh my god," Alanna shrieked as she saw the plane tickets. "We're going on holiday."

"I'm afraid it's not even for week, but we need to be back for Raw and we thought you would probably prefer to see your grandparents and your mom on your actual birthday next Tuesday," John said hugging her as she ran around the table and gave them both a hug at the same time.

"Thank you, thank you," Alanna shrieked in their ears at the present. "Love you both."

She did a happy dance on the spot, "Oh can I go? I want to face time and let my friends know."

Before Randy could even answer, Alanna was bouncing out of the room and across the hall.

"Night," he called to the door laughing.

"I think she liked it," John laughed as well as he put the empty plates on the tray and into the hallway for collection. When he closed the door and turned around he forgot everything seeing Randy stood in the doorway to the bedroom.

"Come here darling," Randy whispered loud enough that John could here.

John walked across the room and took Randy's hand as he reached his lover. He led Randy over to the large bed, "Lie down."

Randy quirked an eyebrow at his partner's instruction, considering he was the dominant one in the bedroom, it was a shock to hear John tell him what to do. Regardless he climbed onto the bed and laid back for his lover. It had been so long for the pair he was willing to do almost anything for him.

John crawled up his body and kissed him, his tongue immediately pushing into Randy's mouth. The need between the pair ignited the passion between them and John pressed his leg between Randy's, grinding down on his lover, causing them both to moan at the feel of their hardening cocks.

"Darling," Randy moaned as John latched his lips onto Randy's neck, kissing up and down the expanse, running his tongue along the tips of the tattoos, which wrapped around from his back.

"I love you, honey," John whispered before kissing Randy again, their tongues mating as Randy wrapped his arms around John, enjoying handing over the control for the moment. His hands travelled down John's body and slid straight into John's pants, grabbing his ass as John continued grinding against him.

Randy wondered for a brief moment if John was going to get his own back for the unfortunate number of times Randy had worked him up and not been able to finish the job because of interruptions. He shook the thought straight from his head as he remembered his lover didn't have that attitude within him.

They had both suffered from the lack of one on one time and now was their chance to get what they wanted and desperately needed from one another.

Randy moved his hand from inside John's pants and slid it under the loose t-shirt he wore, the feel of John's back muscles was something else and Randy could spend hours running his hands over the skin.

John kissed down Randy's neck and pushed Randy's shirt up to reveal his chest, straight away moving his lips from Randy's neck to his the newly revealed body part. He moaned against the skin as he flicked his tongue against one nipple and then the other, following the line of his sternum down before kissing Randy's abs as he lowered down causing Randy to moan and buck his hips up from the bed in request for John to keep going.

"Patience, honey," John smiled as he moved down and let his hand grab the bulge in Randy's pants. He gripped the waistband of Randy's pants and boxers and pulled them down his long legs. Randy sat up and removed his shirt, throwing it to the floor to join his pants.

Before he rejoined Randy on the bed, John lowered his pants, leaving on his boxers as Randy slid the his hands under the hem of John's shirt and pushed it up, revelling in the sight of his lover's toned body.

"I love that sight," Randy whispered as John laid him back before moving quickly down his body. Randy took a sharp intake of breath as John took hold of his cock and then slid down the shaft as he held his balls with his free hand.

Randy closed his eyes and propped his arm behind his head as he relished in the sensual touch of John's mouth on his cock. He moaned as John's mouth lowered all the way down and Randy felt the tip of his cock slide into John's throat.

With his cock rock hard and ready to go, Randy stopped John's talented mouth as he went to go back down again, "Kiss me."

John smiled and crawled up Randy's body, placing lazy kisses on his stomach and chest before latching onto his lips once more. Randy's hands wandered and slipped under the waistband of John's boxers. He pushed them down slightly as he rolled John to his back and took control of the kiss they shared.

Removing John's boxers, Randy didn't take his time moving back up John's body as he usually would. Instead, he latched his lips around the tip of John's cock and slowly slid down the hard shaft, causing John to buck up off the mattress.

"Oh god," John moaned running his hand over the back of Randy's head as he worked the hard cock in his mouth. Randy moved his lips and tongue repeatedly over every inch of his lover, John moaning under him as he enjoyed the rare treat of Randy taking him in his mouth.

"Too long, honey," John moaned making Randy stop the sweet torture. Randy knelt up on the bed and dragged John's body tight to his, wrapping his thighs around his waist. He held himself over John's torso and kissed him hard as he started thrusting against him, John's moaning getting louder.

He knew John wouldn't want to cum like this and he wasn't about to make him, but he wanted to have John in a hot and sweaty mess by the end and he knew once he was inside John he wouldn't last long. It wasn't just John who had been without for too long.

"I'm going to give you what you need, darling," Randy breathed in John's ear, his voice raspy from the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

John wrapped his thick arms around Randy's shoulders and held on as Randy smashed their lips together again as he continued thrusting against John. John let go with one arm as he reached under Randy's pillow to find a bottle of lube for them to use. "Have you been planning this Orton?"

"No more than you Cena," Randy said smiling down at his lover as he grabbed the lube from John. He quickly lubed himself up and probed gently at John's opening making sure he was able to take him easily. It had been a while and he didn't want to hurt his lover.

John grabbed Randy's hand wanting to stop him from preparing him too much, he wanted to feel Randy press into him. He directed Randy's hand to his cock and his lover stroked him slowly as he pushed his hard cock into John.

"Oh god," they moaned together.

"Fuck, I don't remember you ever being this tight," Randy moaned, still slowly stroking John, distracting him from the discomfort he was probably feeling.

"Ran, honey, please," John begged quietly running his hand up Randy's lower arm.

Randy adjusted their position so John's legs rested on his shoulders. He kept his thrusts short, making sure not to pull all the way out. He wasn't going to last and he wanted John there with him when he did.

He grabbed John's cock again and stroked it as he thrust into John, watching his partner relax into bliss. He'd missed seeing John in this state and he made a mental promise to find time to spend with John, one on one, more often. He never wanted to leave it so long again.

Overcome by emotion, Randy lowered John's legs and held himself over John, changing to long languid thrusts as he kissed John tenderly but with a shared heat. Randy grabbed at John's thigh as he kept the thrusts going, a coiling heat already building in the pit of his stomach, swallowing John's moans as they kissed.

John slid his hand between his body and stroked his cock some more as Randy's lips moved to his neck and shoulders, licking and nipping at the skin, John's moans now resonating in his ears.

He pressed their bodies together and trapped John's cock, giving him the friction he sought as his trusts became harder.

"John, darling."

"I'm there," John grunted as Randy thrust hard into him, John clawing at his ass trying to press him even closer together.

"Fuck. Close."

"Me too," John moaned, his hands travelling the expanse of Randy's back.

Randy slammed his hand against the headboard and pushed even deeper into John.

"Fuck. Randy. Fuuckk," John cried out as his load spilled between their bodies, his tight muscles gripping Randy, suffocating his hard cock and causing him to explode within him.

"John," Randy breathed collapsing against John.

He barely had the strength to move, but as soon as he had breath back in his lungs, he made himself move and pull out of John. Rolling onto his side, he entwines his legs with John and kisses him softly and slowly, exploring his mouth like they were kissing for the first time.

"I promise never to leave it that long again," Randy said holding John's gaze. "I love you, John Cena."

John smiled at his partner, loving how tender he could be. "I love you too, Randy Orton. And even if we never have sex again, I will always love you."

"Don't get all mushy on me, Cena," Randy said rolling to his back and pulling a smiling John with him.

"Get some sleep, honey; you'll need your strength tomorrow morning," John said shifting position to have his back to Randy, his head resting on Randy's shoulder.

"Mm, what's happening tomorrow morning?" Randy asked switching the lights out and curling in behind John, hoping he knew the answer to his question.

"You're carrying the bags down to the car," John said, the smirk evident in his voice even if Randy couldn't see it.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed, and don't forget the chance of a oneshot for the 300th review**


	37. Chapter 37

**I know, I always start these notes with I'm sorry, but I am, updates will hopefully come more frequent over the next few weeks as I have two weeks off from one job and then a week after that I have a week off from the other job, so I should have plenty of writing time. The plan is to finish this story... we have eight chapters to go... and then I will start to look at Contentment. I have plans to extend Loving My Sisters Boyfriend and Pizzeria (which I may rename) but that will not happen until after Contentment is finished.**

**In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter... it's been a while so the writing might be a bit rusty.**

* * *

><p>"Morning honey," John murmured as Randy moved in close to his body.<p>

"Morning," Randy said sleepily.

A smile slowly crept onto John's face as he pictured his partner, barely awake, move in tight. First thing in the morning, it was there natural state and anyone who ventured into their room, whether a hotel or their own bedroom, would find them in this position, or a more intimate position if they arrived five minutes late.

John shifted his position so he lay on his back and was about to roll onto his opposite side when Randy's arm clamped across his body, stopping his movement.

"I hoped you were going to do that," Randy said lightly kissing John as he slid his body on top.

"Horny already? John quipped.

"I'm on holiday. It's still early. And I have to pack later today to go home," Randy said punctuating each sentence with a kiss. "You and I are going to have a very heated make out session."

"I'd rather have a very heated sex session," John said sliding his hands around Randy's sides.

"And it always starts with a kiss," Randy said holding himself over John, his hands either side of his lovers head. Randy captured John's lips and felt almost transported back in time to 2012 when they kissed in John's shower room. The only difference now was that they were on a bed together and it was thirteen years later.

They kissed like they didn't know when they would be able to again, wanting to taste each other on their lips for the rest of the day. John's hands travelled down Randy's sides and grabbed his butt cheeks pressing him closer; another reminder to Randy of what happened so many years ago. He wished that night that he had taken things further with John, but at that stage, things were still new to them and Randy was ashamed to admit he wasn't ready.

He moaned into the kiss as he pressed their bodies together, John's hands now climbing up his back trying to touch every inch of him. The kiss broke off for air, both men gasping for oxygen. Randy didn't give John much of a chance to recover and claimed his lips once more, pushing his tongue straight in to tango with John's. John gave out a long moan at the passion being exuded by Randy and it brought Randy back into his senses. He broke the kiss once more, allowing John to gain the air he needed. He rested his forehead against John's trying to control his own breathing.

"Love you," Randy said.

"I know," John said quietly, rubbing himself against Randy.

"I want to give you a present," Randy said into John's ear before gently nipping at it.

He gives John a peck on the lips and then kisses slowly along his jaw and down his neck, savouring the taste of his partner's skin. He moves down to John's chest and flicks his tongue over each of his nipples and gently bites them with the same pressure he bit his ear lobe. After bathing them with his tongue, he moves down John's body, placing kiss after kiss, his hands softly following behind. As he nears John's hard cock he pauses, letting his breath hit the sensitive skin. He stays there as long as possible, feeling and hearing John's breathing getting heavy in the anticipation. Not wanting this to be over quickly, he kisses back up John's chest, smirking when he hears John swear.

The smirk on Randy's face turns into a full-blown smile when John moans loudly as Randy grabs his cock and gently squeezes, rubbing the hard muscle to give his lover some release.

Not one to be out down, John let his hand fall south under the sheets and took Randy's cock in his hand and used the same amount of pressure to join in the action. Randy took control of the kiss and they both moaned as they stroked each other, not rushing to a climax.

"Want your present now?" Randy asked breaking the kiss.

"If I say 'yes' will you promise not to tease me this time," John said running his hand over Randy's shaved head.

"Promise," Randy said kissing him quick.

"Then yes."

Randy gave John another quick kiss before kissing back down John's chest. Without any preamble, Randy slipped his lips tight around John's muscle, easing down as far as he could go. He moaned around the hard cock as he heard John's reaction, loving the way his lover responded to his actions.

"Oh god, that feels good," John said his hand running across the back of Randy's head as he worked. "Oh yes."

Randy felt John shift under him and knew he was leaning up on his elbows to watch as Randy worked the length of John's cock.

"Oh fuck, you're hot," John murmured almost to himself.

Randy reached down on himself and slowly stroked his own cock to release some of the pressure building up as he sucked John.

"Enjoying yourself Mr Orton?" John asked as he saw Randy's hand moving below the sheets.

"Never as good as you working your magic," Randy said with a smile. "My main concern right now is you. Are you enjoying?"

"I can honestly say I have never NOT enjoyed you and me together," John said smiling. "Kiss me again."

"Yes sir," Randy said smiling even more as he kissed his way back up John's chest before taking his lips between his own. Randy kept the kiss soft and gentle as his hands explored the body underneath his own before his lips travelled the same path as his hands before heading back to John's lips.

"This is all about my enjoyment today, correct?" John asked coyly.

"What do you want, darling?"

"To ride," John said, using his strength to roll Randy onto his back and move above him, causing the pair to laugh at his actions. He pulled Randy up from the mattress and they moved so Randy was sat propped against the headboard, a pillow behind his back for support. Randy grabbed John by the neck and pulled him in to kiss him hard, John placed his hands either side of Randy's head on the wall and deepened the kiss, tangling tongues as they explored each other.

He heard Randy scrambling for something and John started smiling as he thought of what was to follow. Sure enough, the click of the lid came a second later and moments later, he felt the cool lubed fingers pressing against his opening.

John moaned into the kiss as Randy slipped a finger in, easing the tense muscles ready to take Randy deep. As Randy continued to stretch him in preparation, John searched the mattress for the bottle of lube.

"You okay, darling?" Randy asked breaking the kiss in concern.

"No," John said breathless. "I want you in me, now."

He grabbed Randy's cock and stroked him to lube his thick cock. He positioned himself above Randy's cock before sinking down and letting him fill his open.

"Better?" Randy asked gently rubbing John's sides, letting him control the speed. If John wanted to ride then he could set the pace.

"Mm, much," he said quietly, his eyes still shut from the pleasure. "I love you filling me like this."

"Mm, that's because you're my slut," Randy whispered into John's ear. "Ride me, Johnny. You know it turns us both on."

John tested the movement, making sure there was no sign of pain, though he knew he would be okay, they'd had sex most days while they were on holiday. He slowly slid back down onto Randy's cock, making the younger man mewl in pleasure.

"No teasing, darling," he said his eyes shut in pleasure.

John started moving faster, causing both he and Randy to become more vocal as they went.

"Fuck, Johnny," Randy moaned as John continued to ride his cock. His hands holding John's hips tightly to help him keep his balance as John rode his cock. "I love it when you ride, when I hear how much you enjoy it as well."

"I do," John said breathless. "Fuck, Randy, honey, right there. I don't think I can last much longer."

"Good, because you're about to make me cum," Randy said moaning as his grip tightened and his own hips bucked up into John.

"Fuck," John yelled as Randy thrust into his prostate. "Fuck, right there."

"Can't last, Johnny, darling," Randy said. "Fuck, cum with me Johnny."

He grabbed John by the scruff of the neck and pulled him tight, plastering their lips together. John managed to stop himself toppling by slamming his hands against the wall. His cock rubbed against Randy's abs as he continued to ride, both kissing one another, claiming each other's lips in an almost desperate method to be completely as one.

"Cum, Johnny," Randy said breathless. "Cum for me. Fuck. Cum. Now."

They both came almost simultaneously with John collapsing into Randy's arms as his high took over his body. Randy held him tight as his own pleasure slowly ebbed and then he shifted their bodies so they were able to lie on the mattress.

"Anytime you want to do that again, feel free," Randy said with a loose arm thrown round his lover who rested against his chest.

"Sure thing. Of course, I might need a day or so to recover," John said into Randy's body. He went to prop himself up but couldn't find the energy and flopped back down against Randy. "When you said it was early before, did you mean something like five in the morning?"

"No, why?"

"Because I really need to get some sleep," John said grabbing the bed sheet and pulling it up over his head.

"Sorry, darling," Randy said with a smirk as he gently tugged the sheet off John's head. "It's almost seven and we said we'd meet Al at seven thirty for breakfast."

"I hate you."

"Pretty sure you were telling me you love me," Randy smirked.

"Pretty sure that was all you."

* * *

><p><em>Monday Night Raw – Raleigh, North Carolina<em>

"Zack Ryder everybody with another successful, if not ill-gotten, title defence," Michael Cole commentated as the Intercontinental Champion called for his belt and a microphone.

Paige was already in the ring along jumping up and down in excitement at another victory by her boyfriend. When he returned to the centre of the ring, calling for his music to be cut, she looked on perplexed, not sure what he was wanted to say to the masses.

"Everybody is talking about it," Zack said pacing back and forth. "John Cena and Randy Orton were back on Raw last week. Well, whoop-de-doo, who cares. I mean, John Cena thinks he's above the WWE these days. It's the first time he's been back since he retired with his boyfriend."

The crowd was a mix of cheers and boos for John but it was nothing either man would ever take to heart as it was natural, if you mentioned John Cena, you had a mixed reaction.

"And apparently," Zack continued. "John doesn't even have a backbone anymore. Randy calls and he goes running. It's pathetic."

Shaking her head at the attitude he was showing, Paige pulled the microphone away from his mouth and begged him to stop. At the end of the day, the crowd loved John, and attacking his personality and relationship wasn't going to help win the crowd over.

"Paige, babe, quit it, I need to get this off my chest," Zack said pushing her away. "John, I know you have seen my tweets, you may not be as active on your account as you once were, but I know you still check things out. I'm begging you to respond. I want to hear your cheap, pathetic excuse as to why you blew me off last week. I'll be waiting. And so will the WWE Universe."

Zack threw the microphone to the mat and headed for the ropes with an exasperated and confused Paige following him. Big E kept his distance from the pair at Paige's small indication as they started toward the ramp.

Before Paige even hit the mat, John's music hit. The crowd are going as crazy as they did the previous week as John steps out onto the stage, and this time he's decked out in a new shirt and jean shorts.

"Okay, okay, I know, two weeks in a row. I couldn't help myself," John said with a knowing smile and shrug. "I got the bug again, as soon as Randy and I finished last week we knew we needed to be here again. Especially knowing that Raw was coming to Raleigh, North Carolina where we had some intense matches, some even against one another. All of that aside, I'm sat backstage, actually catching up with friends since I didn't get to do much of that last week, when I'm told that my old buddy, Zack Ryder, is mouthing off about me in the ring. This I had to see."

"Oh here we go, John Cena, turning things around so it goes in his favour. Just because you're classed as a legend now, doesn't mean you are the one who's right, and I'm in the wrong."

"Zack, dude, what are you talking about?" John said with an exaggerated shrug.

"I'm talking about you trying to get this crowd on your side."

"Paige, can you please explain to me what on god's green earth your boyfriend is talking about," John said .

Paige gently took the microphone from Zack, calming him down before she spoke. Zack storms across to the other side of the ring, annoyed at the lack of respect he was receiving from John.

"It boils down to this, Zack feels offended by your actions last week. He feels that you blew him off for your boyfriend," Paige stated politely, indicating for the video to be played on the titan tron.

John turned to watch the big screen as the production truck aired the footage from the previous week on Raw. It was somewhat cool to see himself back on WWE television and he couldn't wait until he and Randy were wrestling again. Part of him wanted to go one on one with Randy again, but a larger part of him didn't want to be throwing any punches at his lover. After their relationship changed, it was rare for John and Randy to be in a match where they were going up against one another. Yes, on the odd occasion, it happened, but he could count those times on one hand.

"That was me blowing him off?" John said with a Rock-like eyebrow. "Wow, close call. I'm so glad Randy wasn't there to catch it."

"John, this isn't funny," Zack yelled grabbing onto the ropes and leaning over them to get as close to John as he could from the ring. "It is pathetic. You think you're better than me. You think you can't be seen with Zack Ryder, the Woo Woo Woo boy because you're with Randy now. You have to be seen with the right people."

"You're a changed man, Zack Ryder," John stated with a serious tone.

"You can talk, have you looked in the mirror," Zack said laughing. "Randy really has done a number on you."

"Okay," John said slowly heading to the ring. "I've given you plenty of leeway, but I'm done now. You can say what you like about my personality, about my wrestling, my career, but how's about you keep your comments to yourself about my private life."

"Did I hit a nerve, John? I'm telling you something you don't want to hear. A truth; you went soft," Zack said menacingly, causing John to stop in his tracks. "Randy turned you into a little puppy dog. You were never going to stop wrestling, then you started dating Randy and next thing we know, you're announcing your retirement."

John stood at the bottom of the ramp, looking up at Zack who had an evil smile on his face, knowing he hit a nerve.

"I thought it was especially sweet when Randy retired a few months later. Wait, sweet isn't the word. Pathetic is. Randy is as pathetic as you are. He was the Apex Predator, the Legend Killer, the Viper. Now, you're both washed up fools who can't go anywhere without the other. When I heard you were hosting Raw, I thought, this is going to be amazing. I couldn't wait to see you both in the ring again. You didn't just disappoint me, but the entire WWE Universe. You proved to us all, you're nothing but a joke."

John stood for a moment taking in what Zack was saying. He was silently trying to come up with a response to Zack's hurtful words, but everything he was coming up with just sounded like a childish retort, and wasn't any better than a teenage whining 'Oh yeah'. He raised the microphone to his mouth and went to say something only to stop himself. He lost count of how many times he did that before sighing and throwing the microphone to the ground.

He thought briefly of jumping in the ring and attacking Zack but then he didn't want to resort to hitting a friend, even if he had lost his way. Instead, he shook his head, turned on his heel and walked back up the ramp, trying to block out the resounding boos that were echoing around him in the arena. He hated retreating, but he couldn't come up with a rebuttle for Zack's comments, and that made him wonder if they were true.

* * *

><p><em>Monday Night Raw - ten minutes later<em>

John headed down the corridor and knocked on the locker room of Ted DiBiase before letting himself in. He and Randy were hiding out in Ted's locker room while visiting their friends. Randy was sat on one of the benches as Ted grabbed his belt and headed for the door John just came in through.

"Word of warning, he's not happy," Ted said.

Randy stood and grabbed the jacket which was hanging up behind him as John edged closer.

"You ready to go, or do you want to stay to the end?" Randy asked gruffly, pushing passed John before getting an answer.

"I guess we're going," John mumbled to himself. "Everything went well by the way, no problems whatsoever."

"Get your things," Randy snapped.

"Hey," John yelled back. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Absolutely nothing. I wouldn't want anyone to think we've gone soft," Randy snapped.

John's brain caught up to the moment and he realised what Randy was pissed off over. It clearly wasn't just him affected by Zack's words, but Randy as well.

"Look, I know Zack said some idiotic things out there-"

"Zack is an idiot. I've never liked him. Tolerated him at the best of times," Randy said. "My problem, is with you. Now, I'm all for our private life, to stay private. If I wanted Joe public to know the ins and outs of our relationship, I'd be telling them myself."

"So what's the problem? I didn't go divulging intimate details. Was it that stupid joke about blowing Zack off?"

"The problem is although I don't want you divulging, I would have liked it if you were man enough to defend it," Randy snapped.

"If you're so concerned with what people think of us as a couple, why the hell didn't you come out there and defend it yourself?"

"I am not about to start acting like I'm some knight in shining armour. You've got your own armour, use it," Randy said stepping back and heading out the locker room.

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><p><em>13 July<em>

"Oh my god... it's been amazing, I've had the best birthday," Alanna said into her cell phone. "Yeah, I saw her in the morning, got a card and some money to spend... some new clothes shop here in St Louis. Totally, I forgot about getting all four seasons in one day, I swear it was raining in the morning then it was glorious sunshine by lunch, now it's cold. I went out with a couple of old friends after seeing mom, then I helped decorate the new condo... I'm at a restaurant with dad, John and my grandparents... no, we're just waiting for the waiter to come so we can order our food... he's too into John at the moment to notice I'm on-"

"No, I'm not, and I want you off the phone please, you're at a restaurant," Randy said turning his head to give Alanna a stern look.

"Okay, okay, I've got to go. Speak to you tomorrow?" Alanna asked with a smile. "Cool... oh did you see Raw? No, I think there's some action next week."

"Al, don't make me get annoyed," Randy said as she continued talking.

"I really have to go... thanks... speak tomorrow, I've got a question on the history assignment," Alanna said before hanging up.

"What did he want?" Randy asked realising he said it a little too gruff.

"He wanted to wish me a happy birthday."

Randy didn't say anything; he wasn't sure what he should make of this Mike kid. He couldn't stop her dating, especially since she was seventeen, but he didn't want her getting hurt again. Thankfully, she'd had the sense to end the relationship with Brad. Randy had been biting his tongue the whole way through.

"Was that a friend from school?" Elaine asked breaking the silence, and eyeing John's smirk at Randy.

"Yeah, we got to know each other towards the end of term," Alanna said with a smile. "He helped me through a tough time."

"He sounds very nice. Maybe before you head back to Florida you can teach me how to use one of these video phone calls, that way you can introduce me to him," Elaine suggested causing Alanna's eyes to widen and John to burst into laughter.

"What's wrong with that John?" Bob said speaking up. "You don't think my wife can use a computer?"

"Oh I'm sure she can, Elaine's on twitter more than Randy," John said smiling. "I'm just thinking if Mike gets the okey dokey from Elaine, Randy's won't have a choice but to play nice."

John turned his head to look at Randy and burst into laughter again at the familiar stern look he usually gives Alanna. Instead of finding it threatening, instead it made him laugh even more. Randy could never play that look off with him. He went from placid to angry, and thankfully he didn't see that side very often.

John closed the small distance between the pair and softly kissed Randy, forgetting for a moment Bob was with them. Mentally shrugging, he kissed Randy again, enjoying the tenderness. He would have kept going if it weren't for the gagging noises that Alanna was starting to make at the head of the table.

"You are lucky it's your birthday, young lady," John said trying the stern look only to break into laughter along with everyone else at the table. Randy collared him at the weak impression just as the waiter arrived to take their orders.

"You're going to be in trouble later, mister," Randy whispered to John and John just gave him his cheeky smile.

"Promises, promises."

"Ewww."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed :)**

**Plan of action summary**

**Life is Good... Mostly**

**Contentment**

**Loving my Sisters Boyfriend**

**Pizzeria**


	38. Chapter 38

**Two chapters in as many days... even I'm amazed! Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

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><p><em>Monday Night Raw – Washington D.C.<em>

Raw had been on air for one hour and John was done waiting for Zack to show his face for a match. It had been reported throughout the week that Randy still wasn't happy with him for not defending their relationship and that Zack was causing some discord between the pair.

John wasn't having that. He and Randy were fine and he was going to prove it.

As his music hit and the uproar came from the crowd, John made his way out onto the stage. He could tell he'd been back a few weeks as the crowd were starting to pick up more with the 'Cena Sucks' chant. It amused that those yelling those words were the same people who cheered for him before he retired. He was right in 2010 when he said the kids and women would cheer for him, and the grown men would boo him.

He saluted at the top of the ring, presenting the crowd with one of his 'Rise above Hate' shirts. He thought it appropriate after the previous week with Zack.

He practically raced down to the ring and grabbed the microphone off the steps before entering the ring.

"The John Cena Haters are starting to come out the woodwork so let's make this quick," John said to a loud cheer from the male fans. "I wasn't planning on being here this week but after slipping back into the dark ages at the hands of Zack Ryder I needed to get a few things off my chest."

He took his cap off running his hand across the short hair as he paced across the ring.

"According to Zack, I've gone soft. I'm not the man I once was. It appears that, the same is true for Randy. Apparently, my being gay is the cause of this. Welcome to the twenty first century, Zack. It's not considered wrong to be gay. I am proud of whom I am, of what I have with my partner, and if you have the guts to get out here right this second, I'll show just how tough I am when I kick your ass through every state and back again," John yelled, fired up by his own words. He felt the crowd getting behind him and he whipped off his shirt throwing it into the crowd.

As he waited for Zack to show up, he took off his dog tags, one for Randy and one for Alanna, kissed them both and tucked them into his shorts.

Zack's music finally hit and John smiled waiting for Zack. The man in question appeared a moment later and he came out onto the stage with Paige right behind him. Paige was looking as exasperated as she was the previous week and was clearly trying to tell Zack not to get pulled into a fight with John.

She stopped him halfway down the stage and as John walked to the ropes to tell him to get a move on; he was hit in the back. Big E had run in through the crowd and attacked from behind. John went down to one knee as Big E kicked at his mid section and hit him with forearms to his back. Spurred on from the crowd John found the strength to fight back and threw punch after punch at Big E until backed up into the far corner.

As John went to hoist Big E up onto his shoulders and deliver an Attitude Adjustment, a searing pain went through his back and he fell to his knees. He knew that pain better than anything he'd ever felt; he'd been hit with a steel chair. Randy himself had delivered enough over the years they fought one another, but he knew this time, it wasn't Randy delivering the shot.

He heard Paige yelling at Zack to stop, that he didn't need to do this, but the chair shots continued. John couldn't hold himself up any longer and he fell to the mat as Zack continued to rain chair shot after chair shot down on his back.

He heard a massive roar from the crowd and he hoped the security team were heading to the ring to stop Zack and Big E, who'd started weighing in with kicks to John's head. He turned his head to see who it was, and recognised the jeans. It was Randy.

As Randy hit the ring he received a couple of shots from Big E before firing back a couple of his own and when Zack went to hit him with a chair, he grabbed the weapon and kicked Zack in the gut to make him lose his grip. He swung the chair wildly as the two men retreated from the ring and headed to the ramp.

He threw a couple of threats at them before going over to John and checking on him, never letting go of the weapon in case he needed to use it in defence. As Randy crouched over John, the older man started to pull himself up and Randy helped him get to a sitting position.

Before John could get to his feet a high pitched scream pierced the arena and Paige launched herself at Randy, jumping on his back and throwing weak punches at his head.

"You attacked my boyfriend," she yelled as she threw each punch. "You attacked my boyfriend."

More irritated than hurt, Randy flipped her off his back only for her to land on her feet. She launched at him again but he caught her in an RKO. She lay flat on the mat and Randy stood over her and shrugged. He grabbed the chair from the mat and held a hand out for John who looked at him bemused.

Zack dashed to the ring and pulled Paige out of the ring by her feet, hoisting her over his shoulder as he carried her to the back of the arena. Randy standing in the ring throwing insults at Zack and Big E as they head up the ramp.

* * *

><p><em>St Louis – three days later<em>

"If I knew we were going to be decorating," Cody griped as he helped to sand down the walls in the spare room. "I wouldn't have agreed to come here. This is my day off and I had better things in mind for this weekend."

"Cody, for all intents and purposes, this is your room. You are likely to be the only people staying here, since more often than not we'll be in Florida when John's family stays with us. It makes sense for you to choose how we decorate it," Randy argued back. He hated participating in a bickering contest with Cody because the younger man would always win, mostly because Randy got exasperated and gave up. "If you really want, I'll decorate it how we want, since it is our house."

"You mean all black furniture like the master bedroom, honestly it's like you have no taste, have some colour in your life Randy."

"I'll have you know John chose the colour scheme for that room since I decorated our bedroom in Florida," Randy rebutted. "And will you get this god damn dog out of here, its traipsing mud all throughout my house. I'll need to get the carpets cleaned at this rate."

Downstairs, John entered the home with Alanna, their arms laden with bags of wallpaper, a couple of tins of paint and Alanna carried the soft furnishings to go with the decor.

"You leave my Rogue out of this," they heard Cody holler from upstairs.

"Cody, when they get back with the paint that dog better not be here. She's a menace and will turn my carpet blue with her paw prints."

"About time," Ted said coming through from the kitchen, keys in hand. "I cannot stand one more minute of those two arguing. First Cody doesn't want to decorate, and then Randy starts in on Rogue. They have been back and forth on the same two points for the last half hour."

John and Alanna chuckled at Ted's frustration. They all knew that Cody could get under Randy's skin at times, and although the two were close it was a good job they didn't see each other as frequently as they once did. If they did, they'd end up killing one another.

John went back out to the car and grabbed the last of the items as Alanna took the bags up to the bedroom.

"Tie that dog up somewhere before it ends up in tonight's dinner," Randy threatened.

"RANDY. Don't you listen to him, Rogue," Cody said.

"Okay, tag, you're it," Ted said hitting John on the shoulder and heading for the rental car he and Cody were using for the weekend.

"Wait, what do you mean?"

"I mean, you can sort the terrible twins out, I'm going for a drive, maybe even get myself a bite to eat. Anything to get away from them for a half hour," Ted said laughing.

John closed and locked the car and carried the bags inside and headed up the stairs toward the spare room. From what Ted had told him he was expecting to see Randy with Cody in a headlock, or worse have the dog by the throat.

Instead, he saw Randy and Cody facing opposite walls, Cody shaking his head and Randy full of tension in his shoulders.

"Cody, do you want to check we got all the right items," John suggested before walking over to Randy and running his hand over his back and receiving a quick kiss in reply.

"You sure you want to give him that task, he might start griping that you got the wrong item," Randy said. "Oh, and he doesn't like your choice of decor in our room."

"I didn't say that-"

"Yes, you did. Told me I needed to get some colour in my life, and I shouldn't keep choosing black furniture."

"I said-"

"That it's like I have no taste."

"Guys."

"Stop putting words in my mouth," Cody said getting agitated.

"Guys."

"I'm not putting them in your mouth, you let them come out of your big gob," Randy shot back.

"GUYS," John yelled. "Please, will you shut up arguing? Cody, go through the bags, if we've missed anything I can get it next time we go to the Home Depot store."

"Fine. And I didn't say that," Cody said demurely.

"You know what, I don't care. I liked the bed so I chose the items around it to match," John said with a shrug.

As he spoke, Rogue ran into the room and sniffed at John's leg before doing the same to Randy. Randy tensed up again and John cursed the fact that Randy insisted on wearing his muscle t-shirt when they got dressed that morning. All he could see now were the muscles in his shoulders, and as tense as they were, he could imagining helping him unwind and seeing the stress drain from his body.

"Ally," John called suddenly thinking of an idea to stop some of the arguing.

"Yeah?" She asked as she entered the room.

"Would you mind looking after Rogue while we work," John asked, pulling her to one side to mention to clean her feet since he was sure he had spotted a couple of dirty marks on the carpet in the hallway. He just had to find a way to distract Randy long enough to clean the dirt away.

"Ran, honey, I was thinking on the way back from the store, we still haven't gone through what you want for the kitchen," John said wrapping his arms around Randy pressing his chest into his lover's back. "We've got a few boxes left to unpack as well. Do you want to sort through those and make a list of what we need?"

"Sounds like a plan," he said putting the scraper down on the side with the tub of filler.

"Randy watch it, you almost got that on the curtains," Cody complained.

"Where exactly is his boyfriend? Shouldn't Ted be the one dealing with this?" Randy griped as he left the room.

"That's a point, where is Button?" Cody asked.

"You and Randy drove him insane with your arguing; he went to get a coffee, from the other side of St Louis," John explained picking up the scraper Randy had put down. "He won't be long."

Randy shook his head as he heard John explain that Ted had disappeared because of the bickering. He could understand that one, he was sick of it as well. He just wished Cody would listen to himself at times and realise how annoying he could be. Randy hadn't seen the domesticated side of Cody's personality as well.

He'd known he wasn't good in the kitchen, but didn't realise he was all about the right decor in a room. Randy and John worked together on their homes; each had a room they decorated. They took pride in their home and made sure it looked good, but never to the level Cody was taking it. The only room Randy was fussy over was the kitchen, and he knew why John let him take the lead on it, it was his domain.

When he'd moved to Florida with John, he'd put some of his belongings in storage, knowing they could come in handy in the future. He'd pulled some of the boxes out when they arrived back in St Louis the previous week but they didn't have time to go through everything and they lived out of restaurants for the few days they were in town. The only rooms they looked at were the two bedrooms.

As he unpacked the boxes and found homes for the items, he grabbed the pad and pen they were using to list the items they needed for the house, room by room. By the time he was through, he had three pages of items in the small pad. He knew John would roll his eyes at some of them items and at the end of the day, Randy would agree with him, but the first two pages were the essential equipment, pots, pans, steamer, and slow cooker. The bread and pasta makers were on the third page, he could live without them if need be.

As he wrote a final item in big letters at the end of the third page, hopefully something which John would appreciate, he looked up to see the man in question walk in. He pulled him into his side and kissed him quick on the lips.

"Mm, did you have to wear that top today?" John asked smiling lazily at Randy.

"I knew you'd like it," Randy said kissing him again.

"Did you make the list of what you need?" John asked seeing the pad and pen in his hand.

"I did," Randy said backing John against the counter, making sure to keep the list behind John's back. He kissed him languidly, hoping to appease his boyfriend before he saw all the pages. John played along and joined in the kiss, slipping his hands under Randy's shirt and feeling the muscles underneath.

"How crazy did you go?" John asked straight, when Randy ended the kiss.

"Just remember we're setting up a new home, and we need a working kitchen," Randy said coyly handing over the pad.

John scanned the first page, nodding his head as he went along and Randy thought it was a good sign. When he flipped the page, the nodding continued as his eyes travelled the length of the page until he hit the first of Randy's extravagancies. When he flipped over to the third page, John started shaking his head and laughing at the items.

"Do we have to get them in this order?" John asked he went back through the list.

"If I said yes, would that mean you'd agree so you can get a new washing machine?" Randy asked with a chuckle.

"No," John said laughing with Randy. "I'm not an idiot, Randal. We're not buying a new fridge freezer, pasta maker, oven, and why the hell would you want a blow torch for the kitchen, just because we NEED a new washing machine."

"Oh wait I forgot something," Randy said snatching the pad back and scribbling on another two items after washing machine. He handed the pad back to John with a huge grin on his face. "How about we go in order now?"

"No, but I'm buying that last one, we need a set for here," John said smiling as brightly as Randy. "And who knows, I might let you use them as well."

"Let me? Darling, if I want to use a pair of handcuffs on you, I will," Randy said pulling John in for another kiss. They meshed tongues for a while and John eventually let go.

"When Ted gets back, how about we go out, just the two of us, and get these items," John said, suddenly thinking better of his last statement. "Or, at least, some, then we can stop off and get a drink somewhere, spend some time together."

"Sounds good, darling," Randy said kissing him quick.

When he pulled away, John tugged on his shirt and yanked him back in, pressing their lips together. Randy, knowing what John was after, ran his tongue along the seam of his lips, seeking entrance. It didn't take much tempting for John to open to his lover and their tongues slowly melded together. He let his hands run up John's sides and he cupped John's face as they continued kissing, John placing his hands on Randy's butt to stop him from stepping back but more importantly so he could feel his lover's ass.

It was only when they doorbell stopped that the men stopped kissing, Randy leant his forehead against John's, "I could kiss you like that all day."

"Me too," John said smiling as the doorbell went again.

"Alright, alright," Randy griped as he walked to the door, wishing Ted had thought to borrow a key before disappearing. Randy opened the door and was about to comment when he saw someone he didn't expect. He knew his plans for the afternoon had just been changed.

"Hi Randy, can I come in?"

"Yeah," he said shaking his head of the cobwebs. "I guess you should."

"Is he here?"

"He's in town," Randy said. "But not here, at least not at this moment in time."

"Ted, where did..." Cody stopped short when he saw the person stood in the entryway.

"Hi Cody. It's good to see you."

"Kristen..."

* * *

><p>"Where are they?" Alanna asked as she entered the kitchen to see her dad.<p>

"Outside," Randy said pouring the coffee for everyone. "Would you mind taking these up to John and Cody? I'll bring ours up after I've taken these out to Ted and Kristen."

"Sure," she said taking the two cups upstairs. By the time she made it up to the room, listening to make sure Rogue wasn't scratching at her door to get out. Randy was following close behind.

"What were they talking about?" Cody asked as soon as they were in the room.

"I didn't listen to their conversation, not that they were talking much," Randy said handing Alanna her cup of decaf.

"Yeah, but-"

"Codes, we'll find out... you'll find out as soon as they're done," Randy said trying to calm Cody. "Ted will want to talk to you, just as he always has, since the day you met. You've always been the same."

"Come on, if we get this room finished," John suggested. "He'll have somewhere to come at the end of the day, with you holding him."

"He likes to hold me," Cody said sadly.

"And the same thing applies; it'll be somewhere good for him to come and rest after a stressful day," Randy said putting a comforting hand on Cody's shoulder. "Come on, let's decorate. You'll get to see John try and work out wallpaper patterns."

Cody smiled weakly and the three of them went to work on the room. John focused on the wallpaper, swearing under his breath when he was trying to line the pattern up, while Randy and Cody painted the walls with the shade of magnolia Cody had picked out.

Short of John's mumbled swearing, the three worked in peace for an hour or so. Alanna would bring Rogue in from time to time and it would help distract Cody to get cuddles, but when Randy would get agitated as she got near the paint, Alanna would take her back to her room to keep out his way.

After a while, Cody started checking his watch ever few minutes, checking to see how long they had been down there talking.

"Do you think I should go down with him, for support?"

"No, Codes," Randy said gently.

"Cody, if Ted needs you with him, he'll let you know," John said. "She wouldn't understand why you would be there if you just show up. He needs to let her know things have changed between the two of you."

"I know, but its Ted. I shouldn't let him go through something like this himself," Cody said, scared that he wasn't supporting his lover. "He wouldn't let me go through this alone."

"Codes, you asked him, remember," Randy prompted. "He said he didn't to speak with her alone."

Cody nodded and went back to work painting the walls. If John needed help with the wallpaper, he would ask Cody, in hopes of distracting him, but it didn't work. When Cody turned away to his wall, John prodded Randy in the side, and gave him a look as if to ask what they were going to do with him.

Randy shrugged in return feeling sorry for his friend. At the end of the day, there was nothing he could do for Cody and Ted but offer words of comfort. Right now though, he didn't know what to tell Cody since no one knew why Kristen had suddenly showed up again.

Ted and Kristen had separated after just a year of marriage and Ted threw himself into his career and benefited from it. He worked his way back into televised storylines and when John and Randy returned he was one of the few they were pulled up to be the new locker room leaders. Randy just hoped that Kristen wasn't trying to get back in his life because of the success he was now getting as the champion.

Randy checked his watch and prodded John whispering that he was going to go down and start the dinner.

"Do you have everything you need?" John asked quietly

"I'll let you know if I need anything," Randy said kissing John briefly, more to share his own support. It was hard when a friend was hurting and you couldn't help.

"I can come and help if you like," Cody said hearing their conversation.

"It's better to stay busy up here, Codes. I'll let you know if you're needed," Randy said placing his hand on Cody's shoulder for comfort again.

Randy made his way quietly down to the kitchen, hoping he wouldn't disturb Ted and Kristen if they had moved inside. He grabbed the recipe he'd printed from his mom's computer and made a list of what he needed. He had almost all the food, just needed some tomatoes to make the sauce, and he required a blender as well.

He jogged up the stairs and let John know, indicating to take Cody with him as well.

While he was upstairs, Randy check on Alanna who was having a conversation with Mike via the internet and showing him the dog. From the state of her desk, it looked like she'd been spending some time working on her assignment so he didn't tell her not to talk for too long. It was her summer break and she deserved to have some fun as well as complete her schoolwork.

He went back down to the kitchen and started work on the rest of the dinner; he needed a distraction as much as Cody did. He was chopping the peppers when he heard the back door open and Ted hold the door for Kristen to walk through.

He gave a small smile, which both Kristen and Ted returned, but they both looked emotional and tired. Whatever they discussed, it was huge.

"I'll be touch soon; I promise," Randy heard Ted say as he showed Kristen to the door. He heard the door shut but it was a few minutes before Ted reappeared. The younger man didn't say anything and made his way through the kitchen and back out onto the patio area.

Randy had to stop himself going out there, knowing that Ted would want to talk to Cody about things first. Thankfully it was only ten minutes later when John and Cody returned.

"She's gone, and I think Ted would like you to go out and see him," Randy said to Cody when he appeared with questioning eyes.

Cody didn't say anything and went straight out the back door to see Ted. He found him sat at the table and chairs and as much as he wanted to take the seat next to him, he needed a friend more than a lover right now.

When Ted spotted him coming, his hand covered something sat on the table and he pulled it to him so Cody couldn't see.

Cody sat in the seat opposite Ted and waits patiently for Ted to talk. It's up to him how much he shares with Cod. It didn't take long before Ted was telling him what went down.

"...she's wanted to come and see me for some time, but never found the courage. It was only because she saw my dad that she realised it was time," Ted said. "I told her about us. I wanted her to be clear that there was no chance of getting back together."

"What did she say?"

"She wasn't looking to get back with me, the only reason she's wanted to see me was because she's had something to tell me," Ted explained. "Dad mentioned I was staying here in St Louis this week and she did some digging around on the internet to find out the address. I guess she thought it would be easier to deal with this away from either of our homes."

"What was the news?" Cody asked gently.

"When we separated, she didn't know it at the time, and she doesn't believe in... she was pregnant," Ted said looking up at Cody, a scared look in his eyes.

"She had an affair?" Cody asked confused. "I never would have suspect-"

"She didn't have an affair, Cody," Ted said sincerely, hoping he didn't need to spell it out; he saw the light bulb go on in Cody's eyes and confirmed his thoughts. "I'm a father, Codes. I have a son, Tate."

"Oh."

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><p><strong>AN: Hope you all enjoyed :) Please review :)**


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N: Didn't quite finish this off last night so you're getting it tonight... 6 chapters to go!**

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><p>"I don't miss these days," Randy said as they set up the room to look like it was Ted's locker room. In truth it was just the corner of the room they were laying out with a change of clothes, his bag and of course the WWE World Heavyweight Title.<p>

Randy had spent years setting out rooms for either John or himself and helping the creative team make it look like no one else was in the room. In this instance, John and he were having the other side of the room for a shot they were doing during the show.

"Miss what?" Ted said not paying attention to the Randy. He'd been going through the motions for the last few days and though he wanted to pull himself out of the flunk he was in, it was difficult. Finding out you were a father of a 14-year-old boy was not something that is taken in easily and anyone who tried to tell him it was a simple matter should be put in that situation.

Yes, of course, now that he knew about his son he was going to play a part in his life. He was even considering moving back to Mississippi to help and be around for the young lad.

"Ted, I wish I knew what to say," Randy said knowing what had Ted distracted. "I can only imagine what it is like to find out you're a father when your child is already a teenager. It was scary enough for me when Sam told me she was pregnant."

"Every time I think I've got my head around it, I think of something else," Ted said shaking his head. "Like, he's fourteen, has he started dating girls? Has anyone spoken to him about sex and wearing protection?"

"Okay, dating girls is one thing but sex is another. Even without you around, Kristen is a Christian woman and she would have taught him morals, the most he may have done is get to first base; maybe second."

"Stop trying to help, before you know it you'll be telling me to get on the phone to him and tell him to buy protection. He's fourteen, Randy."

"Second base is grabbing some tits; the likelihood that he did that in the same manner we would is small," Randy said shrugging.

"Randy, you haven't grabbed a pair or tits in at least thirteen years," Ted said confused.

"You know what I mean," Randy said scowling. "And for your knowledge it was fourteen years ago."

"I don't need to know that," Ted grumbled turning away from Randy.

Randy chuckled a little at Ted's reaction and turned back to John's bag. He pulled out the jean shorts and t-shirt that John was planning to wear along with his knees pads, wristbands, and armband. When he was setting the gear out, he made a mental note to check that John was going to tape his knee. It had been a long time since either man had stepped in a ring to wrestle; Randy didn't want to see John damage his knee and not be able to walk on it properly as he got older.

"I went to meet him the other day," Ted said breaking the silence in the room.

"How did it go?" Randy asked peering over his shoulder as he spoke.

"Not well," Ted said sounding defeated. "He barely said anything to me. I took that as he was angry at me for not being there."

"It could just be he doesn't know how to feel. You and Kristen are telling him you're his father. He hasn't had a father to know what that means," Randy said. "Even with my dad travelling, I had a relationship with him. For Tate, you haven't been there. I'm not saying that's your fault, you didn't know about him. But don't think you can just walk in there and start being his dad."

"I know. Kristen said she only contacted me now because he's acting out," Ted explained. "I think she maybe thought if I were there it would make everything better. Maybe I thought it would be like in a movie, where even though it's awkward, you have something you can connect over."

"Yeah, well, in my opinion, movies have set a lot of people up for failure. I've never know it to work like that," Randy said. "Look at the trouble we've had with Al over the last year; and I've been there as she grew up. Not enough, I know, but we were still able to bond. You've missed out on that."

"What do you suggest?"

"Never Give Up," Randy said with a cheesy smile as he held up John's shirt.

"Loved up fool," Ted said laughing at his friend.

Randy's phone rang as they laughed and it was Alanna calling from the coffeehouse with John checking to see if he wanted anything to eat. He told her to bring back a sandwich and he would grab something else from the canteen later in the day to top up.

Ted listened discreetly to the conversation to pick up any tips but everything seemed to flow naturally between father and daughter. Did it make a difference that Randy had a daughter and not a son, or was it simply that Alanna was older than Tate was? That said, as Randy pointed out, they'd been through their own share of troubles over the past year. Maybe it was nothing but the change for his son that was causing the distance.

Randy was right. How could he expect there to be any kind of relationship when he didn't know the boy. He didn't even know the name of his school, if he liked sports and if he did which was his favourite team. Who were his friends, did he have a girlfriend? Okay, he was fourteen but most kids had a boyfriend or girlfriend at that age even if it weren't serious.

There was something else that needed to be discussed. How did he tell his newfound son that he was gay? It wasn't a conversation you had every day. Ted and Cody were out with their friends and family but they weren't out publicly. Kristen knew, but Tate didn't, would she help him, would she sit down with the two of them and talk it through.

Of course, he needed to check with Cody if he were okay with that. Ted didn't want to upset his boyfriend who was suffering from the ordeal almost as much as Ted. The younger man had been trying to be supportive but didn't know what to say. Ever since Friday when Ted went to meet Tate, Cody had kept his distance whenever he could.

"Ted, do you want anything?" Randy asked breaking into his thoughts. Ted simply shook his head in response. "No, he's good. I'll see you when you get back. All right, sweetheart, tell John to drive safe... I heard."

Randy was smiling when he came off the phone and Ted had a pang of jealousy at the life Randy had for himself. A year of hardship was nothing when you came out of it with a family as strong as his.

"You all right, man?"

"Yeah," Ted said quietly.

"Liar."

"I just realised I had to tell Tate I'm gay," Ted said with a shrug.

"This day and age, it's nothing," Randy shrugged. "He's probably already got a few friends who are."

"You think?"

"Al was telling me, her 'friend' Mike has a gay brother," Randy said. "Plus there's a guy who's out already in her homeroom class."

"She's a few years older though," Ted said. "Anyway, I need to check Cody is happy for me to have the conversation first."

"I love Codes, but your son needs to know whether Cody wants you to tell or not," Randy said sternly. "Cody only has a say over if he wants to meet Tate and be introduced as your boyfriend."

"I'm worried about Cody, he's not coping with this," Ted said looking at his feet as he ran his hands through his hair. "How did John handle it?"

"John and I weren't a couple then. I was married to Sam," Randy shrugged. "I guess when we did sit down with Al, we did that as a couple, but she was a lot younger than Tate."

"You discussed it with him though," Ted asked.

"Yes, but we both said at the end of the day, it was my decision," Randy said. "We told her together with Sam nearby if she was needed. However, I was being selfish. I wanted John there for moral support, plus Sam was still getting used to it and I wanted to show her it wasn't a fling, John and I were a couple."

"How did Alanna take it?"

"I know you're looking for some comfort in my situation, but the truth of the matter is, Al was five. We told her, Daddy liked Johnny in the same way he used to like Mommy," Randy said with a small smile at the recollected memory of Alanna's face and comment _'Daddy that doesn't make any sense'_. When he'd stopped chuckling at her, he pulled her onto his lap and told her that she might see him kiss Johnny and hold his hand or wrap his arms around him. That it was okay to do that and she shouldn't listen to people who say it wasn't all right for him to do it.

"Yeah but you separated for a while," Ted reminded him.

"We were trying to protect her; people were accepting guys being gay, but not everyone. Times are even better now, but there are still prejudicial people around who think it's wrong to be gay," Randy shrugged. "My own dad is trying to get used to it still and I've been with John for thirteen years."

"I feel old. I still remember when you were straight," Ted said laughing before turning serious again.

"Stop thinking on it," Randy suggested. "Go and find Cody, pull him into a private room or onto your bus and have a make out session. You both need to relax."

"Yeah, okay. Thanks Randy," Ted said heading out the room.

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><p><em>Monday Night Raw – Uncasville, CT<em>

John sat in his locker room tying his shoelaces as he mentally prepared for his match. It was the first match he'd had in over just over a decade and he had to admit he was nervous. He looked up when he heard a door slam only to find Randy stood looking down at him. It was clear he was more nervous than John was.

John stood to meet Randy, facing the stern look that always lit something inside John. He'd faced it for years and while originally he thought it was chemistry in the ring, when he'd come to terms with his feelings for Randy, John realised it was more than just in-ring chemistry.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Randy asked with his old Viper persona firmly back in place.

"Yes. This has gone beyond Zack's comments," John stated. "They attacked me last week and I'm not okay with that."

"John I understand that, but Big E is a strong guy and has been wrestling solidly for ten years," Randy explained his thought process.

"Look, I wanted Zack. I made that clear. If I have to go through Big E to get him, so be it," John said, the old passion lighting up in him again.

"Remember to focus on his weaknesses; you've fought him before and you've watched Raw every week since you retired," Randy said trying to spur John on. "You've got this. You're John Cena. And tonight, you've got Randy Orton in your corner."

"No."

"What?" Randy asked shocked.

"I have to do this myself. Just as much to prove to myself as Zack his bodyguard," John said trying to calm Randy down. He'd love to have Randy in his corner, but he wanted to prove he still had it.

"John, don't kid yourself. Zack and his little girlfriend are going to be down at ringside and as soon as they get a chance they'll be interfering in your match," Randy told his getting riled up. "I'm just going to be there to stop them."

"Randy, I'm doing this alone," John, said walking out of the room leaving Randy to stew in his own anger.

John made his way to gorilla and when his music hit and he went out to the arena, Big E was already in the ring waiting for him. John almost went back to the locker room to drag Randy out with him, having second thoughts on the idea of Randy watching his back for interference from Zack and Paige who were in the ring with Big E.

He took a deep breath and made his way down to ringside. His entrance was more sedate than it used to be due to his age, but still fired up by the fans that were supporting him. As soon as he hit the ring, he ran the ropes and threw his hat into the crowd before removing his shirt and throwing that out into the opposite side of the arena. Finishing off his ritual, he kissed his dog tags and handed them to the referee for safekeeping. They were more precious to him than they used to be and he wouldn't ever want to lose them.

John stretches in the corner as he waits for the bell to ring. The moment it does, he jumps out of the corner and starts to circle the ring with Big E doing the same. They lock up and go back and forth for control of the match and just as John is about to get the upper hand, Big E hits him with a knee to the mid section and winds John.

Big E goes on the offensive and John immediately starts defending himself from the powerful blows Big E tries to land. Although the shots are landing, John is able to block the majority of the strength behind them and even lands some of his own as he tries to get control of the match back.

Big E gets cocky when John is on his hands and knees recovering from a power slam and when Big E tries to hit him with an elbow drop to his back, John dives out of the way and immediately takes charge. He hits his flurry of moves and manages to get Big E's shoulders on the mat for a two count.

Obviously scared that Big E will lose, Paige jumps on the apron of the ring and starts throwing insults at John. John ignores her but the referee is distracted trying to get her off the apron, threatening to evict her from ringside. As the referee is distracted, Zack attempts to chuck his title belt at Big E to use. John intercepts and throws it back at Zack, keeping an eye on him as Paige jumps down from the ring. With John distracted, Big E takes the offensive again, hitting John with a forearm to the back of the head.

Having seen enough, Randy decides to come down to ringside, regardless of John's wishes. His menacing demeanour has Zack and Paige regrouping on the opposite side of the ring as Randy heads to the commentators table, grabbing a headset and taking a seat.

"Gentleman," Randy said shaking each of their hands. "Good to see you all."

"Randy Orton, ladies and gentleman, joining us on commentary," Michael said as Randy got comfortable. "Welcome."

"It's good to be here," Randy said.

"Randy, we were just saying that John looks in fairly good shape considering he hasn't been in the ring for such a long time," Alex said. "Though he does seem to have some ring rust, having not mounted much of an offence during the match."

"John is in extremely good shape. He requested a match and when it was granted, he hit the gym and has been making sure his in ring fitness is as close to what it used to be," Randy said seriously. "As for the offence, well, we all know John is good at coming back from insurmountable odds."

"Randy Orton, once a long time rival of John Cena, I guess you know firsthand how good John is at those comebacks," Michael suggested.

"Definitely, John and I had a match in 2009, an 'I Quit' match, and I was in control of the majority of that match, but John managed to come back and got the win," Randy said. "I have faith that John can do the same here. I just don't trust Zack and Paige to stay out of the match and keep it fair, and they didn't let me down on that. The first chance they got they were interfering."

Randy let the commentators do their job for a few minutes as he watched John and Big E go back and forth in their match, each getting a few minutes on the offensive before it switched back. As he watched from the commentators table, Zack approached and got in his face.

"Look what the cat dragged in, Randy Orton," Zack said standing in Randy's eye line, stopping him from watching what was happening in the ring. "I guess you've been downgraded to cheerleader."

Randy slowly stood, taking off his headset, before getting in Zack's space. He wasn't about to be spoken to like that. Before he had a chance to say anything, Zack went to turn away only to turn back and hit Randy in the head with an unexpected blow. Randy fired back and landed a couple of his own blows against Zack.

The referee caught sight of the action going on at ringside and called for them to separate. Randy used an Irish Whip to send Zack into the barricade but Zack reversed it and Randy hit it with full force.

On the other side of the ring with the referee distracted, Paige slid Zack's title into the ring and Big E covered it with his body as John was over by the ropes checking on Randy. When he saw Randy was okay, he headed back over to Big E and when he went to pull him to his feet, the big man smashed him over the head with the belt, throwing it back out to Paige just before the referee turned his attention back to the match.

Big E hit John with the Big Ending and pinned his shoulders to the mat for a three count.

As he waited for Big E, Zack and Paige to leave the ring, John could feel just ho exhausted he was. He had spent some time in the ring earlier in the day but it clearly wasn't enough to raise his fitness levels to that which they used to be. Being strong in the gym and physically fit is different to having ring fitness. Before his next match, John knew he would have to up his game.

Randy was already getting to his feet as John rolled out of the ring to check on him and as they headed to the back, he heard Randy mention a cut on his head. John thought it odd since he hadn't noticed it when he checked on Randy, and he'd taken a good look over his lover making sure he was okay.

It was only as he wiped the sweat off his forehead and it stung as he brushed above his eye, that he realised Randy meant that John had a cut on his head. He knew that wasn't going to go down well and Randy would be babying him for a few days while he 'recuperated'.

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><p><em>At the hotel that night<em>

"I'm saying he needs to be more careful," Randy called from the bathroom as he cleaned up for the night. "An inch lower and he could have damaged your eye. He's been in the business for long enough and he should know better."

"Honey, I'm fine," John said amused as he climbed into bed. "I don't have a headache, there's no sign of concussion, it just nicked my skin as it hit. How many times were you cut open during a match?"

"I'm not worried about me," Randy said switching the light off in the bathroom as he headed to the bed. "I'm worried about you. I don't like seeing you hurt. Why do you think I didn't want to be in matches with you when we started dating?"

"You're pretty sure you'd be the one to get the damage in," John said chagrined as he curled up to Randy who grabbed his book from the side.

"I don't mean that, but I didn't like the idea of hitting you back then, and I was right. It's even truer today," Randy, said quietly kissing the top of John's head as he remembered that horrendous day from their recent past.

"Just don't go getting in his face. He didn't mean to do it," John said. "Besides, I didn't even know it had happened. I was more concerned about you."

"Why?" Randy asked confused.

"You hit the barricade hard Honey, I was worried you'd got hurt," John shrugged.

"I've hit that thing thousands of times and been fine," Randy said kissing John again to alleviate his fears before smiling at a thought that went through his mind. "I know one thing though."

"What?" John asked tilting his head back to look at Randy.

"Even with you getting cut open, I got hot watching you in the ring," Randy said. "Makes me want to say screw this book I can read it anytime."

Randy put his book back on the nightstand and switched the light off sinking down into the sheets with John who was already exploring Randy's chest with his lips.

"Cody, are you coming to bed?" Ted called from the back section of his bus.

Cody was still sat out in the main area watching something on the internet and had barely spoken to him since they'd left the arena.

After speaking with Randy, Ted had made a beeline for Cody's locker room only to be told he was at the canteen getting food. Ted went on a hunt for the man, but everyone said he was in a different location. Nearly an hour later, he gave up and went back to the locker room he was using for the evening and focused on his job. He had some charity meets before the event started which kept him busy and unable to think about everything going on in his life.

"Cody, baby," Ted said walking up to the man.

"I'll be there in a moment," Cody said giving him a soft smile. Ted felt like Cody was avoiding him but while he wanted to challenge him on it, at the same time he didn't have the strength to take something else going wrong. He was starting to get an idea of where Randy and John's heads were at over the last year. He told himself to draw strength from his friends and remind himself that he could get through just as they had.

"Okay, baby," he said sighing slightly as he headed back to his bed.

He climbed under the sheets and switched the lights off so he could try and get some sleep, not seeing the point in trying to read or watch a DVD, his mind wouldn't be able to focus. He tried to stay awake for five minutes in case Cody came to bed, he wanted to be able to curl into him and draw strength from his lover.

He was just drifting when he heard movement but when Cody climbed into the bed he stayed at a distance rather than moving close. Ted fought every bone in his body not to roll onto his side and curl into Cody. It had been their natural state since they'd started sharing a bed, but ever since Ted went to meet Tate, they weren't the same together.

Before finally drifting into sleep, Ted made a mental promise to sit Cody down and talk to him, find out what he was feeling; and if he couldn't do that, then he was going to have a conversation with John. He would be able to give a better insight into how Cody might be feeling more so than Randy might.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed. Please review :)<strong>


	40. Chapter 40

**This is a really short chapter and I'm sorry for that, but the next one will be longer :)**

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><p><em>Monday Night Raw – Calgary, Alberta, Canada<em>

"Welcome back ladies and gentleman to Monday Night Raw. I'm Michael Cole; William Regal and Alex Riley alongside me as we watch Zack Ryder and Paige teaming up against Eva Marie and Konnor," Michael said as the bell sounded the start of the match.

"A new team of Eva Marie and Konnor as well," Alex said chiming in. "Eva Marie returning from injury last week. As skilled as both competitors are, Eva Marie and Konnor won't be able to work as cohesively as Zack Ryder and Paige."

"A fair point," Michael agreed as they watched on. "Zack Ryder and Paige have been a couple for a few months now. Working well together when they've teamed up in that time. But you have to wonder how vengeful Eva Marie, what with Paige being the one to put her on the injured list."

Zack currently had Konnor in an arm bar but the taller, more powerful man was able to work his way out of it and press Zack back to the ropes before sending him across the ring and hammering him with a clothesline. He was on him immediately, keeping the momentum going for his team and keeping Zack off his feet and unable to build up any speed.

Konnor went to lift him for a suplex but as Zack left his feet, he started hitting Konnor in the head with closed fists. Konnor stumbled and let go of his hold on Zack. It only took Konnor a second to recover and go after Zack but he scampered out of the way and flew at Paige tagging her into the match.

Konnor reluctantly stepped back and tagged in Eva Marie. The bright red head stepped into the ring, her first match back since her injury. She was set to make an impact and get in the run for a match against the divas champion.

"Eva Marie looking better than ever as she sizes up Paige," Michael commented. "And here we go as they lock up."

Paige took the upper hand immediately and as good as Eva Marie had become over the years, Paige had the fierce nature it took to be in with a shot to challenge for the title. In just a few minutes, she had Eva Marie in a headlock and screaming insults at her as she wrenched her hold tighter.

The crowded chanted for Eva Marie and the tall woman managed to use the strength in her legs to fight out of the hold and have Paige backed into a corner. She used an Irish whip to send her across the ring into the opposite corner and followed it up with a running clothesline. Paige scrambled to get away, scared of the sudden outburst of strength from Eva Marie, but she was too slow and Eva held her by the ankle to stop her getting to Zack who was holding his arm out straight.

Eva Marie held onto the control of the match for a few minutes before Paige managed to land a couple of kicks to her stomach. Zack was holding his hand out for the tag and Paige went scrambling but just as she made the tag, a roar went up from the crowd as Randy Orton raced through, jumped the barrier, and dived into the ring.

Zack went to go on the offensive but Randy blocked his attack and reigned blows down on Zack, landing each shot as he tried to make his way across the ring to escape the other side.

The referee had already called for the bell and Paige scrambled over to the announcers corner and grabbed the Intercontinental belt for Zack. Eva was coming after her but she skirted around the ring in the opposite direction and started yelling at Big E, who was already on his way down the ramp, to stop Randy from continuing his beating on Zack.

Randy sent Zack into the ropes and as he rebounded and went to hit him with the RKO, Big E hit the ring and speared him to the floor. Zack recovered and called for Paige to throw him the belt. Big E pulls Randy to his feet and holds him by the arms as Zack prepares to smash the title into Randy's head.

Seeing a double team about to happen, John runs out from backstage and hits the rings, launching himself into the ring and tackling Big E to floor, effectively freeing Randy from the hold.

Zack throws himself at Randy but the tall man sees the attack coming and turns on Zack stopping any blows from landing. John and Randy both work their respective foes into opposite corners and Irish-whipped them. The younger pair was able to reverse the moves and send John and Randy flying toward one another. Able to read each other's minds, John ducks down and lets Randy fly past and hit Big E with a thunderous clothesline while he shoulder blocks Zack onto the mat.

Randy is pounding the mat waiting for Big E to get back to his feet. As soon as he does Randy hits, him with a classic RKO just as John pulls Zack to his feet and launches him to his back before flipping him over and smashing him into the mat with an Attitude Adjustment.

Unhappy with what she sees happening in the ring, Paige screams at John and Randy. She jumps onto the apron, yelling at Randy and John but Eva Marie has snuck up behind her, pulling her from her feet. Paige hits the apron before rolling off and onto her feet. Eva immediately grabs hold of her and hits her with a D-D-T on the concrete floor before heading up the ramp with a satisfied smile.

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><p><em>After Raw<em>

"Hey baby," Ted said softly as he walked into the locker room.

The majority of the tour has left, including the Cena-Orton family, and as usual it is just Ted, Cody and the crew left in the building. Even the McMahons have left by now.

"Hey," Cody replied, not looking up from his bag where he was sorting out his ring gear.

"I was hoping we could talk," Ted said pulling a chair across the room so he sat opposite Cody.

"Sure," Cody said still not looking up from what he was doing.

Ted gently grabbed his hand to stop him. The small action clearly irritated Cody but he didn't stop. He put a finger under Cody's chin and raised his head so forcing the younger man to look at him. Even with the irritation in his eyes, he could see the sadness behind. Ted had been taking John and Randy's advice for the last couple of weeks, including not giving up, no matter how many arguments they had. Cody would come around in his own time and let Ted in on how he was feeling.

John had given him an insight into the thoughts that would probably be plaguing his mind, but Cody had yet to speak about the matter directly. The past few nights, Cody had even taken to using his own bus. Ted knew it was avoidance tactics, but he let him have the space he needed. Instead of forcing him to travel with him, Ted sought him out at the arenas. Every day for the last week, Ted's first stop after arriving at the arena was to go to Cody's locker room. If he weren't there, he wouldn't stop until he found him.

The arguments were steadily increasing and starting over things that were clearly excuses for Cody to let his feelings out.

"What?" Cody snapped when Ted didn't say anything.

Ted was about to speak but found himself lost for words. Anything he said he was going to cause an argument, even if it were as simple as saying he'd seen Cody's match from earlier in the night. Instead, he tried a different tactic. He leant in kissing Cody's moist lips. He smiled when Cody responded to the action. Ted moved from the chair and knelt on the floor in front of Cody. He cupped Cody's face as he continued kissing, unhurriedly, tasting one another's lips, and tongues.

Cody's hand traced up Ted's chest and slipped around to hold him by the back of the neck bringing him closer. He had no intention of taking it further, just enjoying a simple kiss.

"Oh, wow, sorry, I didn't-" a security guard said as he entered the room. "Sorry. I did- didn't know anyone was still here."

Ted and Cody broke apart and Cody went back into his shell. Ted inwardly sighed at the interruption and pushed to his feet.

"That's okay."

"Give me five minutes and I'll be out of here," Cody said to the security guard.

Ted stepped back and moved the chair back to its original spot. He hung around for a few minutes, hoping Cody would speak to him, even small talk, it didn't need to be about anything that had been going on, but he would like to have a conversation with Cody without it ending in an argument.

"I should go," Ted said after standing around feeling out of place.

Cody didn't respond as he continued packing his bags, once again not looking up from what he was doing. Ted shook his head and made his way to the locker room door.

"I can't be part of it," Cody said unexpectedly as Ted stood with the door open.

"Part of what?"

"Your new family," Cody said. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"What?"

"You, Tate; Kristen will inevitably become part of your life again," Cody said still not looking at Ted. "I don't have an issue with that, but..."

"But what?" Ted asked confused.

"I don't want to be a father."

Cody looked up after he made the statement, finally feeling a huge relief as he spoke the words he had been thinking since he found out Ted was a father. He loved Ted, and that just made him hate the fact that was thinking the way he did, but he couldn't help it. Even before he realised he was gay, before he realised he loved Ted as more than a friend, he knew he didn't want to be a father.

"Nobody is asking you to be a father," Ted said.

"But everyone is commenting on the situation and telling me how you and I are going to be great fathers," Cody explained, letting it all out now the floodgates had been opened. "Even John and Randy, straight away they were telling me that I was going to need to be there for you; and of course I will be every step of the way. But then they went on and on that in time I would become like a father figure for Tate, just like John was to Alanna."

"Have I ever made you feel like that?" Ted asked quietly, shocked at how Cody was feeling.

"No... But you're the only one," Cody muttered.

"Isn't that all that matters?"

"I guess," Cody said with a sad smile.

Ted let the door close as he walked back in the room and straight for Cody, smashing their lips together, taking complete control of a kiss with renewed vigour. Cody moaned into the kiss as Ted hauled Cody against his body, grabbing his ass as he pressed their lower halves together.

"Mm, fuck Button," Cody groaned as Ted attacked his neck with kisses, just as the door opened again and the same security guard entered.

"Jesus Christ, you said five minutes," the security guard, complained turning around, and slamming the door shut behind him.

Cody, though slightly embarrassed at being caught, couldn't help but chuckle as Ted held him close in loose arms.

"I missed you calling me Button," Ted said with a smile. "How about we head off and see if I can press a few more?"

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><p><strong>AN: Like I said, short. But I hope you enjoyed :)**


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N: Back to the standard length chapter. Hope you enjoy. Only four chapters to go :)**

"Mm, good morning darling," Randy smiled as he woke to the touch of John's lips.

"About time you woke up," John whispered. "Anyone would think you were tired."

"Never tired with you around," he said rubbing his morning wood against John. "Never."

"Do you fancy a lie in?" John asked moving his lips down to Randy's chest. His lips skated across the tan skin before latching on to Randy's nipple. Randy moaned softly sinking down into the mattress as John went to work. The older man would take his time covering Randy's entire body with kisses and Randy had built up enough intolerance that he could enjoy it without needing to rush John in his attention to detail.

His breath hitched when John slid under the sheets and paused as his lips hovered over the sensitive muscle. What Randy would do to feel John's lips on his cock already was unspeakable, John was talented man outside of the bedroom, but his talents skyrocketed in the bedroom. Actually, John made Randy skyrocket, and sometimes without even touching him.

John's lips finally touched his skin again, right above the head of his cock, where it rested on his stomach.

"Darling, no teasing," Randy warned feeling his cock twitch in response to the closeness.

John heeded his words and his lips moved back up Randy's body again, all the way up to his lips. As soon as they were kissing again, Randy's hand smoothed its way up John's back and slowed to a halt as John pushed his tongue into Randy's mouth. Randy responded immediately and rolled them both onto their sides, their legs entwining, as their tongues slowly tasted one another.

"I was wondering when you might join in," John joked between kisses.

"Shut up," Randy said gently as he piled pillows up behind John.

Their bodies lay completely entwined still and as Randy captured John's lips once more, John melted into the soft pillows. John's hand travelled to Randy's waist where it sat, his thumb rubbing against the smooth skin as Randy slowly plundered his mouth.

Randy propped himself up on his elbow with his free hand cupping John's face, holding him gently. He was happy to lay here for the rest of his life, John laying beside him, completely in love, knowing, as they'd proven over the last year, they could overcome anything as long as they were together.

"Are we having any breakfast today?"

Their peace was shattered as Cody charged into their room, clearly having braced himself for what he was about to see.

"Randy, I mean it, I'm hungry," Cody complained.

"Cody, get the fuck out of here," Randy threw his pillow across the room at the man.

Cody left a moment later, slamming the door behind him. Randy turned his head back to John and went in to kiss him only for John to pull back.

"The moment's passed now, honey," he said with a sad smile. "Let's just get dressed and head down and feed the man."

"I hate him at times," Randy muttered as he pushed the sheets aside and padded across to their en suite. John chuckled at Randy's sullen behaviour and followed him into the bathroom, slipping into the shower behind him.

Twenty minutes later, Randy and John walked into the kitchen, Cody grizzling as he sipped at a mug of coffee while reading something on the screen of his cell phone.

"I thought I'd give you a day off," Alanna said as she stood frying some bacon.

"Thanks sweetheart," Randy said brushing a kiss to the side of her forehead. "Anything you need me to do?"

"Nope."

John poured them both some coffee and they sat down at the kitchen table with Cody.

"Cody, can I make a suggestion?" John said as they all sat at the table. "Next time you want breakfast, don't barge into the chef's bedroom, and piss him off."

"Pretty sure I'm the one cooking," Alanna piped up from the stove.

"Yeah, but Cody, I'm guessing, didn't realise that," John said.

"Whatever," Cody said not in the mood to be talked down at.

Randy sat listening, with nothing better to do as his daughter took the cooking away from him. His knee bounced as Cody and John went back and forth in conversation with Alanna piping up every now and then with a comment.

The ringing of Cody's phone brought his attention away from the mug of coffee he was staring at, as John placed his hand on Randy's knee. He turned his end catching a knowing smile from John and shot a little shrug back at him. He couldn't help it; he was usually the one in the kitchen when they were at home. The only time he wasn't was on Pay per View nights.

Cody hit the ignore button on his phone and placed it face down on the table. Randy thought it odd, but then Cody was in an odd mood already today. Maybe it was because Ted was away from the tour this week. Cody could just be missing his boyfriend, especially since from what Ted told him they were over the slight rocky moment they had.

The sizzle from the kitchen took his attention next and he watched, almost longingly, as Alanna cracked eggs into the frying pan.

"Randy, honey, will you relax. It's one morning," John chuckled quietly.

"Hmm, what was that?" Randy said turning his attention back to the table.

"What's up with you?" Cody asked turning his nose up at Randy's distraction.

"He's not coping," Alanna, piped up, lifting her gaze from the pan to meet her dad's eyes. "He can't hack it that someone else is cooking. And yes, I've felt you watching since the moment you sat down."

"Al, sweetheart, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do with myself when someone else is cooking in my own home," Randy explained as she started plating up the breakfast.

She carried two plates over, feeding Cody and John first, and then returned to the kitchen to grab hers and her dad's plates. Cody was diving straight in, and Randy thought it was nice in one way that he enjoyed Alanna's food so much, but it was also disturbing to see at times, wondering how his stomach dealt with eating that fast.

He blocked out Cody eating and focused on eating his own breakfast, making sure to compliment Alanna on a well-cooked meal. They all made small talk as they ate, at least the small family did, Cody was focused on his food, and after finishing, sat quietly, not really interacting with any of them.

"Cody, are you okay?" Randy asked quietly after they had all finished eating.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"You don't seem yourself," Randy said with a shrug. "Everything's okay with you and Ted isn't it, he said you'd talked and things were good."

"Things are fine," he snapped at the questioning. "Excuse me, I need the bathroom."

Randy watched Cody disappear out the room and John picked up the plates to put in the dishwasher.

"What are you thinking?" John asked causing Randy to look away from the doorway Cody retreated through.

"Something isn't right," Randy said spotting Cody's cell phone on the table.

"Honey, leave them to it," John said. "If something isn't right with them, they'll talk about it when they're ready."

"I guess," he said eyeing up the phone as it started ringing again. He picked it up and checked the Caller ID. Ted. He thought about answering it for a moment, but stopped himself, knowing not only would Cody be mad at him but John would lecture him on invading Cody's privacy.

John and he had the kind of relationship where it didn't bother the other person answering their cell phone. Sure, if the phone ringing at that moment were John's, he hand it over, but if he were out of the room, he'd answer it. But Cody wasn't John. Who knew how he would react.

Randy left the table, needing to avoid the temptation of answering the phone, and went to pour a second mug of coffee for everyone.

"That was killing you wasn't it," John asked coming up behind Randy chuckling at the younger man's behaviour.

"Maybe," Randy said handing over the coffee with a hint of embarrassment.

"Well, I'm very proud of you," John said patting him on the butt.

Randy gave him a smirk as he took a mug of decaf over to Alanna who had stretched out on the sofa, "Good book, Sweetheart?"

"Yeah, I picked it up from the bookstore since everyone was raving about it," Alanna explained without looking away from the text. "Lives up to the hype as well; I was expecting it to be some rubbish where you're supposed to swoon over the hero, but it's not."

"Remember to give your eyes a rest from time to time or you'll end up wearing glasses," Randy said as he went back to sit with John and Cody who had returned from the bathroom.

"You realise of course you have to wear glasses when reading," John said with a smirk. "You always sit up in bed reading when I'm trying to sleep."

"Guess you should do a better job of tiring me out," Randy said pulling John's chair closer to him so he could put his arm around the man's shoulder.

"I'm still in the room," Alanna called from the sofa.

Randy silently chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. He should remember to stop making comments like that, but then Alanna was starting to get used to them and just made a quip back at him.

The three men sat at the table discussing work and Cody said he would be heading over to the arena shortly to check in with Paul and Stephanie. They had faked an injury with Ted so he could get some time with Tate in Mississippi and Cody was set to take the focus of the show but he still needed to get the final script for the evening.

"I miss it," John admitted. "The wrestling part, being in front of the audience is still as exhilarating as it was."

"I don't. My life has moved on," Randy said. "Maybe after tonight it will be different, since I'm in a match, but at the end of the day. I chose to leave. I don't miss the level of stress and conditioning I had to put my body through."

"Really," Cody said sounding shocked. "I thought you loved the business."

"I did. I still do. But I don't miss it," Randy said with a shrug. "Like I said, I chose to leave. Its cool doing this storyline, being back, but I know at the end of it, I won't miss the travel, sleeping in hotels. Today has proved that. I love waking up in my own bed with John beside me, and it got even better this last year where I can see my daughter every day."

"So why open a wrestling school?" Cody asked.

"I get to pass the knowledge on," Randy said smiling. "I can be in the business without the stress on my body."

"I'm nowhere near ready to give this up," Cody admitted. "I figure I'll be the same as John. You'll have to kick me out of the business."

"When it's time, you're body will let you know," John said. "I always said the same as you. 'Never Give Up' wasn't just some slogan I had printed on my shirts. I lived by that motto. I still do. As Randy said, the stress on my body was becoming too much. I was injured more than I was active and that wasn't setting me up with a good future."

Cody listened to their advice, the kind he didn't mind. They were talking about their experience in the wrestling world and he would heed every word. It was good to know that he could make the choice over his career, about when it was time to stop. At one stage, Cody was concerned he wouldn't make it passed mid-card level, and as much as he enjoyed working with his brother, that wasn't going to lead him to a heavyweight title reign.

The feud with Ted on his return had seen him escalate to that level and he was quick to take full advantage of it. He became involved in everything he could to get his name out there and show Paul and Stephanie he could be a company man as well as a sturdy wrestler. He couldn't wait to see what his career held for him as the years continued to progress and even now, when he looked back, he could see a continued growth in his character.

They were still talking about the business when his phone sounded again, he inwardly sighed, hoping it wasn't the same person as before. He turned the phone over slightly and straight away saw Ted's name and picture. Hoping John and Randy hadn't spotted the name on the screen; Cody put the phone back down and let it ring out.

"What's going on?" Randy asked sternly.

"Nothing," Cody said trying to block out the familiar ring tone.

"Codes, that's the second call you've ignored from him today," Randy stated. "Most people answer a call from their loved ones."

"He's just checking in after a text message he sent this morning," Cody said as though that was explanation enough.

"Cody."

"Randy, it's nothing, now will you drop it," Cody snapped causing John, Randy and Alanna to look at him shocked. He took a deep breath trying to steady his emotions.

"Tell me what's going on," Randy instructed. "And don't say everything is fine, because you aren't yourself, except maybe when you were scoffing down your breakfast."

"I... I don't want to hear him going on about Tate," Cody said looking down so he didn't have to see the disappointed look on either man's face. "I told him I don't want to be a father. He accepted that, but he still keeps going on and on about Tate."

Cody finally looked up, feeling the emotions welling up inside. Randy pushed back his chair, stood, and walked outside, slamming the patio door behind him.

John watched over his shoulder, trying to stop himself from going after his lover. The subject matter was close to his heart, being a father it would be, but if Randy wasn't speaking, it was because he was too angry to speak and needed to calm down.

John turned his attention back to Cody as Alanna was heading for the patio door, "Ally, cutie, leave him for a few minutes, he needs to calm down. Cody, start from the beginning."

Alanna returned to the sofa but her attention wasn't on her book anymore, instead she continuously looked over at the door, waiting to see if her dad returned. John caught her attention as Cody searched for his words and he winked at her. Her dad would be okay; he just needed a little time.

"Everyone knows I didn't cope with the news very well," Cody started explain. "I was carving out a life with Ted and then his ex-wife shows up. Why, after fourteen years did she need to bring him into the kid's life?"

"Keep going," John said not answering Cody's question.

"I wanted to be there for Ted but something was niggling whenever he started talking about the kid," Cody continued. "I know I started distancing myself, and maybe that was wrong, but I wasn't sure what I was feeling. I needed to understand it before I started trying to explain to Ted."

"Okay," John said trying to take in everything Cody was saying.

"Everyone was voicing their opinions, you, Randy, my parents, Dustin, Paul, Stephanie, most of the wrestlers were even weighing in on the matter. They were all telling me that Tate was a lucky boy; he was going to end up with two dads, not just one. Alternatively, they were saying that Ted was lucky to have such a great partner to support him. Nobody once asked how I was feeling. Not one of you," he ranted. "Before we even got together, people have been comparing us to you and Randy. Therefore, as soon as this comes up, I have to play the mighty John Cena role, standing by his lover no matter what, and being a dad to a kid who I've never met before."

"Did you talk to Ted?" John asked trying his hardest not to take offense to what Cody was telling him.

"He found me in my locker room last week after Raw," Cody said tensely. "We talked briefly; I told him I didn't want to be a dad."

"What did he say?"

"That he hadn't put any pressure on me to become a father," Cody said quietly. "I told him, I didn't want to be a part of it. That I wasn't going to stop him from being a father, but I couldn't be part of it."

"Cody, honestly, do you realise what you were saying?" John asked standing up from the table pushing his chair in.

"What do you mean?"

"In my honest opinion, when Ted gets back to the tour next week, or if you see him in Tampa on your day off, break things off with him," John said indicating for Alanna to come over so they could go outside to sit with Randy and make sure he was okay.

"No, I love him," Cody said confused.

"Maybe," John said shaking his head. "Or maybe you're right. We've all been comparing your relationship to mine and Randy's because it was the same situation, two wrestlers at the height of their careers."

"John, what do you mean?"

"Cody, you say you're in love with Ted; and I'm inclined to believe it. However I don't believe its true love," John said heading to the patio door with Alanna at his side. "Because if you love someone, truly love them, you wouldn't ever make them choose."

"You don't know what I'm talking about," Cody snapped.

"You think? All the pain this family has been through over the last year, and never once did I say to Randy that I didn't want to be a part of Alanna's life. I love her as much as I love Randy, because she is part of him. Just as Tate is a part of Ted. It's a package deal."

"So, I should end it with Ted just because I don't want to be a father?"

"It's better for him to be in pain for a short while before moving on, than be in pain for the rest of his life, because his selfish lover won't share his life completely," John said heading out the patio door and closing it.

He could feel the tension in his shoulders, disappointment in Cody for turning out to be the man he was. Ted deserved better and although he may hate John for giving Cody the advice he did, in time Ted would be able to find someone more deserving of his kind heart.

"You okay, darling?" Randy asked letting John curl into his side.

"No," John said. "I never knew Cody could be so uncaring."

"I'm sorry I left you to deal with it, but I felt too angry. Maybe I was just lucky with you, but I couldn't fathom the idea of my lover not wanting to be a part of my whole life."

"I know, that's what I told him," John said, looking over to where Alanna sat quietly, tears in her eyes. "I love you both and nothing could ever change that."

"Do you think he's going to break up with Ted?" Alanna asked.

"That's between them," Randy said. "We have to stay out of it. If it does happen, then we have to be there for Ted."

"But what about Cody?" Alanna asked. "Will we be there for him as well?"

"That depends on if Cody wants our help. However, let's not worry about that yet, nothing's happened so far. Cody might change his mind."

* * *

><p><em>Monday Night Raw<em>

_I hear voices in my head... _The music blasted through the arena, causing a cheer to go up through the crowd as Randy stepped out onto the stage in his classic fashion. As he stood at the top of the stage, he looked over his shoulder to see John join him. He looked good, and of course, John did as well, decked out in his cut off cargo pants and t-shirt.

Randy led the way down the ramp and made his way into the ring with John keeping a respectable distance, this way Randy's match and he was going to let him take the spotlight. John was there to watch out for interference from Paige or Big E as Randy had his match with Zack.

This feud was escalating from a simple misunderstanding, but at the end of the day, a fight was a fight, and Randy wasn't going to stand back and let Zack run his mouth without consequences. Randy knew exactly what he had been doing the previous week when he jumped Zack from behind and what he was going to get in return, and here he was.

As soon as he was in the ring, Randy automatically walked across to the opposite corner, stepped onto the second rope, and presented himself to the crowd. There weren't as many cheers from the women as there used to be, but he felt a few more men were cheering for him. He looked over his shoulder as he jumped down and spotted John taking a good look. He shot him a questioning eyebrow and John joking held up his hands as though to say sorry.

Just as he went over to John and whispered to him to behave, Zack's music hit and the younger man headed for the ring.

A couple of minutes later they locked up and Randy was overpowering Zack. Randy might be older and it was true he'd been out of the game for a good few years, but he could still teach Zach a thing or two about the business.

For nearly the entirety of the next five minutes, Randy schooled Zack on how to dominate a match. John was in his corner and he could sense him from behind as Randy continued to control the tempo of the match. Zack would land a few lucky shots but all it would take was a single blow from Randy to put Zack back in his place. He almost wished that the Intercontinental Championship were on the line as Randy could have added insult to injury by easily winning the belt from Zack.

Deciding he might as well finish it, Randy hit the mat and started pounding his fists, a serpent waiting to strike as Zack picked himself up from a devastating power slam.

He was just about to strike when he heard Paige screaming from behind him. He turned his head briefly to see what was going on and saw her trying to land punches as she jumped John from behind. He turned back to his prey knowing that John was more than capable of taking care of a small girl like Paige.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Paige fly to the floor, but a second later John followed, landing hard. Randy's attention was gone as he was up from his feet and heading to the ropes. Big E was attacking John and he wasn't about to stand for it. He wasn't sure where the man had come from considering he hadn't come down to ringside with Zack and Paige but it didn't matter at this moment in time.

He ducked under the top rope and grabbed Big E by the straps, pulling him from John. Distracted from his prey's movements, Randy suddenly found himself falling backward as Zack hooked an arm under leg and rolled him up for a pin. Randy went to kick out but Zack had a handful of his tights with all of his weight behind him. Before he knew it, Zack had pinned him for the three-count and the referee was signalling for the bell.

Zack scampered out of the ring and Paige met him with Big E close behind. The Long Island Native was smiling a sickening grin as Randy watched him leave as he sat in the middle of the ring in shock. He had lost to Zack Ryder. John slid into the ring to check on him and Randy just nodded in reply. He connected their eyes and asked him silently if he was okay from the attack and John nodded in the same fashion Randy had.

* * *

><p>John and Randy walked through the corridor back to their locker room. They had previously been sharing with Ted or Cody but with Ted out of town and their disagreement with Cody that morning, neither men, or Alanna, had wanted to spend any further time with him.<p>

Randy was feeling the match in his shoulders and was looking forward to taking a shower and heading back home with John and Alanna. If he played his cards right and made his shoulders seem worth than they were, then he might even get a massage from John.

"No, you won't," John said as he wrapped an arm around his waist.

"Won't what?"

"Get a massage," John said giving him a knowing look. "I know that mind of yours. But if you want a massage, then you should have been good to me and given me one after my match."

"I did in a way," Randy said with an evil smile.

"Not talking about sex, and that wasn't because I was injured, it was because you thought I was hot in the ring," John jibed as they walked along getting looks off the crew for being so open about their relationship.

"Can you not talk about sex, I'm in a pair of trunks and not much else," Randy said as John went ahead of him. "And you haven't commented on which pair I'm wearing."

"Oh, I noticed, why do you think I was checking you out on the ropes," John commented over his shoulder.

Randy wrapped his arms around John's waist and pulled him back against him, "How about we find an empty room before we go back to the locker room?" Randy said loud enough that only John would hear.

"Mm, well, you do seem to need some release," John said tilting his head back against Randy letting the taller man close the small distance between their lips and kiss him.

"And it's the kind only you can provide," Randy said nodding toward an unmarked door further on from the turn off to their locker room.

"Lead the way," John said stepping to the side so Randy could go in front.

Randy took John's hand, led him to the door, tentatively opening it in case someone had commandeered it forgetting to put a sign up. When he saw it was empty, he stepped aside and let John go in first. He'd been looking forward to this since they woke up that morning.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. Please review :)**


	42. Chapter 42

**Hopefully going to finish this story off this week as I've got time off work for Raw and SmackDown in Liverpool... yay! Hope you enjoy the latest instalment :)**

* * *

><p>Cody entered the restaurant, his stomach flipping in somersaults as he waited for the Maitre D' to show him to the table Ted had booked. Regardless of what John thought, he loved Ted and wanted to be with him. Was it so wrong to want to stay away from another part of his life? Hadn't John distanced himself from Randy while he had a family? It was no different; only it still niggled. John's word echoed in his mind every day, eating away at his mind, making his heartache with sadness.<p>

This had been the first day Cody had seen Ted in the last week and a half. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling anymore. When he'd stayed with John and Randy, he wasn't expecting the family to alienate him. It was never his intention to hurt Randy by association. The man was a father, and his daughter meant everything to him. Cody could appreciate that, but he felt that Randy should accept that he wasn't looking to be a father, ever, and support and guide him.

"Hey baby," Ted said nervously as Cody approached.

Cody slid his arms around Ted, breathing in the comfort that his boyfriend provided him. It was right with Ted. They fit together.

"I tried calling you a few times," Ted mentioned as they took a seat opposite one another.

"Dumbass I am left my phone in one of the hotels. I only just got it back this morning," Cody said avoiding eye contact. "I was going to phone but I figured you'd be busy on your first day back, and we'd already booked this before your week off."

Cody was holding Ted's hand across the table as they spoke, needing the constant assurance that he still had Ted. Ted had told him that it didn't matter what other people thought. Their relationship was theirs, no else mattered. Right now, Cody needed that. He needed the assurance he still had a boyfriend, someone who could understand him.

"How's work been?" Ted asked trying to initiate some conversation.

"It's been really good, lonely, but I've sat down with Paul and we've hashed out some ideas for the next few months. Everything seems to be picking up again and SummerSlam is probably going to be the kick off point for it all," Cody explained. "With the likelihood of a championship run as well, it'll be cool. I want to be up there with some of the big names with the number of title reigns I've had."

"So, does that mean the two of us working together again?" Ted asked perplexed. He thought Paul would have mentioned a story arc involving him when they'd spoken that morning.

"I guess. I mean you need to tie up what you have going on now. I don't want to overload the fans with us. I mean, we only wrapped up our last storyline in May. It might be I'm working with someone else, or we have some triple threat matches. You know that kind of deal. Add a different dimension to the Ted/Cody rivalry."

"Yeah, yeah. Either way, I'll enjoy working with you again," Ted said smiling. "I've missed you, feels like I haven't seen you in an age."

"It has been a week and a half, button," Cody said reminding Ted. "In fact, if you'd ordered a takeaway pizza and we'd eaten at the hotel room, it would've been fine. Better maybe; I could have stripped you down to your shorts and enjoyed a nice view as we ate."

"I wouldn't have stopped at the shorts," Ted said leaning forward and whispering to Cody.

He pulled Cody's hand to his lips and smiled as he placed a chaste kiss to the knuckles, even if his eyes were saying something different.

* * *

><p>"Mademoiselle, Monsieur," the Maitre D' indicated the table for John and Alanna.<p>

"Merci," John said as he held Alanna's seat out for her before taking his own.

"Not that I'm complaining, isn't this a bit posh for a father/daughter shopping trip?" Alanna said after the Maitre D' left them alone.

"I'm not allowed to treat you?"

"Thinking Dad will say you already have," she chuckled nodding toward the bags of clothes.

"We may possibly need to condense the bags down before he get back to the hotel," John joked. "Thinking about it though, if we time it right, he may not notice considering he, Matt and Darren are going through the videos they've received for the school."

"How come you're not watching them?"

"I'll help if he wants some help, but this if your dad's thing," John clarified. "I want to sit back and watch him succeed at this, just like I know he will."

"Still say this restaurant is excessive," Alanna said going back to their original conversation. "I would have been happy with a taco."

John chuckled shaking his head at his sort of stepdaughter. He, along with her father, was pleased she hadn't grown up with a chip on her shoulder as some girls may have considering two of her parents had wealth behind them. Alanna was as carefree as her fathers were, and short of a few typical teenage instances, they were both proud of the woman she was turning into as she grew up.

A waiter came to take their drinks order, and John allowed her to have a coffee. Neither he nor Randy wanted her having caffeine on a regular basis at her age. Since they'd caught a cab into the city centre, John ordered a small glass of red wine, hoping to calm his nerves. He had something important he wanted to ask Alanna, and it was petrified it might set the family back six months.

"So, how's Mike? You've been talking with him most days," John said taking an interest in her social life.

"He's busy. He plays for a tennis club and is in competitions all summer, he's likely to go pro when we finish high school," Alanna explained. "We chat when he has some time."

"He's in a number of your classes, isn't he?"

"Only three," Alanna shrugged. "But we hang out on breaks."

"Do you like him?" John said playing with his knife, feeling the nerves building.

"I guess," she said blushing. "We get on so well, and have a lot in common. I don't know whether he likes me though, at least, in that way."

"Have you asked him?"

"Dad, you don't do that," Alanna said trying to hide from the other guests, worried they could hear the conversation. "Seriously, did you just walk up to dad and say 'Hey, do you like me, as in like me like me'?"

"No, we pretty much just made out," John said with a serious face, knowing he was embarrassing her. Thankfully, she was over her issues and he could get away with that now. "Look, Ally, if you're not sure-"

"But that's the thing. Okay, I'm not sure, but it doesn't bother me. If we never end up going out, then I'm happy being friends. Because he's the first true friend I've had in a long time."

"Then that's all that matters," John said taking her hand in his with a smile.

* * *

><p>"I think we really turned a corner during the week. That's why I asked to get a couple more days," Ted explained as they ate. He was enjoying telling Cody about the improvements with Tate. After the initial frosty reaction, it was an amazing difference to see how he and Tate were getting along so well and were able to do things together without Kristen there. "I took him out with the rifle to a shooting range. I think he might be interested in that when he gets a bit older. For now I told him he was only allowed there with me."<p>

"That sounds great, button," Cody said listening to Ted. Although he didn't want contact with that part of Ted's life, he loved listening to Ted tell him about the relationship. It was important to Ted.

"He started asking questions about my life as well. Just little things, like, where did I go to high school, what was my favourite subject. Typical teenage things that he can relate to, you know," Ted said with a beaming smile. "Wondered what my life was like on the road as well. Just interested you know."

"Do you have things in common, you know, interests, hobbies?" Cody asked putting a forkful of pasta in his mouth.

"Well, as I said, the hunting will probably be something when he gets older," Ted pointed out. "And we both enjoyed sports. Not a shocker, both being lads, but it's something. A starting point."

"Is he a Christian?"

"Yeah, he's a teenager, so not big with the scripture, but he goes to church every week with his mom," Ted explained. "Lives by a good set of morals. I'm grateful he had that, since I wasn't there for him."

"Hey, Ted, Button," Cody said squeezing his hand. "How could you be there for him when you didn't know about him? Stop blaming yourself for circumstances which were out of your control."

"You're a wise man, Cody Runnels," Ted said smiling again for a second before turning serious. "I told him I was gay."

"How did he react?" Cody said trying to hide the gulp.

"He was... okay. He didn't say anything for a minute, and then just nodded. I was sure he was going to get angry, you know from the shock. He was so mature about it, I could've cried," Ted said getting teary as he remembered it. "I don't think he's shouting proudly from the rooftops, but he's not written me out his life. I guess it goes to show how life has changed from one generation to the next."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, when John and Randy were coming to terms with their sexuality, they had to hide away. And that was in a time when more and more people were coming out," Ted explained. "For us, it's been relatively straight forward. We were only together a month and we were announcing it to our friends and family, not concerned if it hit the press."

"You're right," Cody said watching Ted as he thought it all through.

"For Tate's generation, nobody is concerned. He said he has four his closest friends who are gay or lesbian. He's even in the minority," Ted said. "Nobody worries if two guys are holding hands as they walk down the corridor in school. It's so refreshing to hear that."

"But he's wasn't ecstatic about you being gay?" Cody asked curiously.

"I guess, I'm his dad," Ted said the word with a smile that spread to his eyes. "That does take some getting used to. I would imagine it would be more difficult for him if Kristen were to turn out to be a lesbian. She's been around more."

"She's..?"

"No! I'm just giving an example," Ted said chuckling.

"Does he know you have a boyfriend?" Cody asked looking away from Ted's gaze.

"Yeah," Ted nodded, letting the confirmation sink in for a moment. "He wants to meet you."

* * *

><p>"Are we heading to the arena after this?" Alanna asked as she tucked into her chicken.<p>

"I, uh, I guess that depends on you," John replied, his meal threatening to repeat on him.

"Ooh, I get to decide if we do more shopping?" Alanna said with a mischievous smile. "I might just choose that option to wind you up. I know you hate shopping for clothes with me."

"I don't," John said indignantly.

"Yes you do," she said with a smile. "It's just a good job Dad isn't with us. We'd both be dragging you into the clothes shops."

"Which is why I always have paperwork to go through when you start talking shopping," John joked with her. "One of you, I can about handle, both of you together, never."

They went back to their food for a few minutes, John trying to come up with a way to ask his question. He felt as if it was a make or break situation, but he didn't want to put off any longer. Though he was sure, he wasn't this nervous when he went to the Orton household for the first time as Randy's boyfriend. It was now or never.

"Ally, there's something I want to ask you; about your dad and I," John said without taking his eyes away from his plate. His heart was pounding, palms sweaty as he thought about how to ask the question.

"What?" Alanna asked concerned. "You're okay aren't you? No more fighting, everything seems okay."

"Ally, Cutie, things are good, better than good. I love him and I know I embarrassingly proved that I couldn't live without him," John said reassuring her. "The last year has been rocky. I really did think we weren't going to make it. Life granted me a family, and I was throwing it away. I've never been so grateful when he moved back in. I'm so happy that you're living with us and that we're a proper family. The three of us; even your grandpa is coming around."

"I'm glad it's worked out as well," Alanna said. "I totally worked out how to play you off against one another. I can get anything I want now."

"That explains everything," John joked backed with the exaggeration Alanna had used. "Anyway; you're single-handedly the most important person in Randy's life and-"

"We both are," she corrected him. "I don't mind sharing my dad with someone who loves him as much as I do, and more importantly someone who he loves as much as he loves me."

"That's good, great even," John said nerves kicking back in again as he prepared to ask her. "Good... brilliant... because I... well, see... I wanted to ask... um, well you know."

John looked up from his plates to see a confused Alanna staring back at him.

"I have no clue what you were just trying to say," Alanna said with an amused look.

"Ally," John said taking a deep breath. "I want to ask for your blessing."

"For what?"

"To ask your dad to marry me," John said gulping as he spoke. His stomach was slipping over and over, he wasn't sure it was a good idea to have dinner when he was asking her this. Especially since she wasn't answering him. "Ally?"

"Um."

* * *

><p>Ted sat waiting for Cody to say something. They sat for ten minutes in silence as Cody played with his food. Ted had known it wouldn't go down very well but he wasn't expecting the silent treatment.<p>

He was trying to wrack his brain to find something to say which would break the tension at their table.

"I told him that we were both busy, so it might be difficult to arrange," Ted said trying to appease his boyfriend. "I figured that he'd get over the idea of meeting you when we couldn't arrange a good time."

Still nothing, just Cody pushing the last of the pasta around a dish.

"I meant what I said to you, if you don't want part of it, then I would keep it separate," Ted tried to get Cody to engage in conversation. "I just need to find away to tell him without causing tension."

Silence.

"He doesn't know your name, so he wouldn't be ringing you up on your cell phone or anything," Ted said chuckling at the tension, but then again, maybe Cody might take offence to the fact that he didn't say who it was. "And, if you changed your mind about meeting him, he said, he doesn't want to interfere, just wants to meet you. I told him you were my first boyfriend. That I'm only recently gay."

When Cody still didn't look up from his food, Ted starting feeling like a failure. He took a sip of water and coughed trying to dislodge the lump stuck in his throat without letting his emotions pour through. He knew what was coming, and as soon as he thought it, it was confirmed.

"I can't do this anymore," Cody finally spoke, though still looking at his food. "Everything changed."

"I didn't plan this," Ted said.

"No, but your life is changing, and I can't be a part of it. We want different things. You have a son, and he's going to be the priority now," Cody continued softly.

"I didn't know about him for fourteen years. I think I have a right to get to know him," Ted said trying to keep his emotions in check.

"I know. You do. But; when you returned to the WWE, it was going to be us against the world. And it was. We were running the company; we've had every championship we could possibly get our hands on, together and apart. Now, it's like, none of it matters. You're the champion, you're first reign, and its like you don't care," Cody said.

"Cody-"

"Let me say this. You took time off a televised show for someone you barely know. You think that goes unnoticed. If you want to remain champion, and be a champion again in the future, your priority has to be the WWE," Cody lectured. "There are guys on the tour, who leave their family's behind every week to fight for a spot on Raw or SmackDown, and you're taking off; you're the champion Ted, a locker room leader, you can't do that. WWE comes first."

"I never knew you felt that way," Ted almost whispered.

* * *

><p>Alanna put her knife and fork neatly on her plate as she finished her meal. John had surprised her with his question. She never expected to hear that question. On the other hand, was it the fact that John was asking her. Maybe she'd been thinking if they ever got married, it would be her dad asking. Not that it mattered which way around it was.<p>

"You can 'No' if you want," John said with a smile, though Alanna could see the sadness in his eyes.

"Why are you asking me?" Alanna enquired not wanting to cause problems.

"I told you, you're the most important person in your dad's life. No disrespect to your grandpa but I value your opinion more."

"It's not traditional to ask the daughter," she said with a small smile with lit John's face up.

"We're not a traditional family," John laughed.

"Can I think about it?" Alanna asked.

"Sure," he said holding her hand.

As they continued their conversation over a second drink, John spotted Ted walking toward them. He was about to signal for him to join them but realised Ted was looking emotional and more importantly trying not to break apart in public.

Alanna spotted him looking over her shoulder and turned to see what had caught his eye, "Is that Ted?"

"Yeah," John said with a serious tone.

"Can we catch up with him, maybe he and Cody would like to go shopping with us," Alanna suggested.

"I have a feeling they probably won't. They haven't seen each other for over a week. They probably want to spend some time together," John said looking concerned. "Why don't we head back to the hotel, see your dad. They should be finished looking at the videos by now."

"Nice way to change the subject," Alanna said gathering her bags as John signalled for the bill.

"I try. Are you going to be able to condense those down?" John asked with a crooked smile. "I don't want your dad thinking I spoilt you today."

"It'll be fine. If he tries to tell you off, I'll just tell him, you were trying to buy my affections so you could ask him to marry you," Alanna said giving John a coy look.

"And I'll tell him you asked me if you could have your belly button pierced," John said throwing it back at her. "Which do you think he'll react to first?"

* * *

><p>Half an hour later, John and Alanna walked back into the hotel suite they were booked into. Randy was led out on the sofa and barely acknowledged their entrance as he watched an audition video on the television.<p>

"Where's Matt and Darren?" John asked picking Randy's feet up and putting them on his lap as he sat down.

"We've finished. Sort of," Randy explained finally spotting the bags Alanna carried into her room. "How much did you spend on her?"

"Not much," John shrugged though his face was a little sheepish. "What do you mean, sort of?"

"We went through them and discarded the ones that we didn't think would make it through the school, but we were still left with four times the amount we planned on," Randy explained rubbing his head to alleviate the tension.

"Come on, turn around," John said as Randy shifted so he leant back against John's chest. John started massaging Randy's temples, hoping to stop the headache before it took hold and became a migraine. "Were you able to whittle it down any further?"

"We went through the ones that were left and decided to be ruthless; if we didn't all agree, they didn't make the cut," Randy explained as the door behind them opened. Randy tilted his head back to see Alanna come through from her room.

"Dads, what do you think?" Alanna asked of her new crop top.

"What the hell is that?" Randy asked sitting bolt upright.

"Don't you like? I thought it would look nice under a baggy overshirt. I don't have one to show you. But it can tie up in the front, you know like girls in the country wear their shirts," Alanna explained.

"Great, yeah, sounds good," Randy said rubbing his forehead. "I actually mean that thing in your belly button."

"Relax, it's fake," John said with a smile. "Like I'd allow her to do that."

"Spoil sport," Alanna said poking her tongue out at John with a smile before heading back into her room to try on the rest of her clothes.

"I owe you, darling," Randy said as John pulled him back against him to continue his head massage.

"I'll hold you to that," John whispered. "How many made the cut?"

"Thirty."

"That's still more than what you were aiming for," John commented.

"I know. I said we should sleep on it and make a decision tomorrow," Randy explained. "I've been going through them, but these guys all have potential. If three of us are seeing the same potential, how can I not include them?"

"You're obviously wrestling with a decision, can I help?"

"I'm thinking two classes, but then I'm thinking that's twice as much work," Randy mused. "Do I want to take on that much for my first group?"

"Are you thinking you're not capable? If so, I'll hit you upside the hit to knock some sense into you. You're a gifted wrestler. You of all people can train thirty-five people the basics of wrestling."

"Some of them look like they could pick things up quicker; I was thinking an advanced class," Randy continued, relaxing as John's hands moved to massage his shoulders. "Mm, darling, that feels good."

"You were saying the other week about running some drills on the first day; could you get all thirty five of them through that in one day and then split them up into two classes?" John asked.

"It would be a long day," Randy said.

"They need to get used to it," John pointed out.

"I meant for me."

This time, John did hit him upside the head before they burst into laughter together.

* * *

><p><em>Monday Night Raw – Las Vegas, Nevada<em>

"And the winner of this bout-"

"Shut the hell up," Zack said grabbing the microphone from the ring announcer's hand. "I want to speak and you're all going to listen."

He climbed into the ring with Paige who had just won a match against Eva. Big E stood outside the ring after supporting his friends, but didn't look too worried about what Zack has to say.

"All I've heard for the last few weeks is that E and I have cheated in our matches, that we can't beat John Cena and Randy Orton in a one on one fight. I have news for you. I beat Randy Orton fairly last week, and Big E won his match against John Cena," he yelled as Paige nodded her agreement. "We don't have to prove ourselves against a couple of dinosaurs. No doubt they started the rumours when they realised they needed to save face after both losing."

As the crowd booed him out the building, John's music hit and he walked out with Randy alongside him, both with microphones in their hands.

"Apparently I'm a relic," John said as his music stopped and the fans died down. "I'm pretty sure I saw a tweet from you during the week Zack that said you were done with us and that you're moving on to younger wrestlers who could put up a fight. Interesting. I never knew you liked it rough."

"Pathetic Cena. Turn everything into a joke. Just like you always do, trying to bait people into a fight," Zack complained. "I'm a grown man who isn't afraid to stand up to you."

"And yet, you're through with us and not willing to get back in the ring with either of us," John said still smiling.

"You're both losers. Figuratively and literally. I've beaten you. Why would I fight you again?"

"Because, Zack, deep down, you want to prove yourself," John told him straight. "So next Sunday, SummerSlam, Zack Ryder and Big E are going to step into the ring with John Cena and Randy Orton."

"I wouldn't waste my breath," Zack said turning his back on the pair.

"Zack," Randy said stepping in. "Every word you speak, is a waste of breath. Now your tweets... your tweets are a different matter. I've read every tweet you've posted over the last few weeks, and I put two and two together."

"Yeah, well, you no doubt came up with five," Zack said snidely.

"Actually, I hit the jackpot. I realised exactly why all of this started, and it sure isn't anything to do with Big E," Randy said.

"I'd agree, he's still doing what he did ten years ago, being the muscle for another idiot, no offence to Dolph Zigggler, he's come a long way," John said.

"Yeah, but what's the common link?" Randy asked John who shrugged. "You. Last time, the former Miss A.J. Lee was using Big E as muscle with Dolph Ziggler, because she couldn't have you. And now, ten years later, times haven't changed much, except that you need to switch out Mrs Punk for Zack Ryder."

"You think I'm a little girl, who is bat shit crazy?" Zack yelled up at Randy.

"She's here tonight, don't call her that," Paige warned. "Trust me."

"Zack you're acting like a jealous bitch," Randy taunted him. "I've got what you always wanted, and it eats you up that you can't have him."

Randy laughed sinisterly as he watched the pair in the ring. Big E was fuming from John's comment but Randy was more interested in the pair mouthing off in the ring.

"You must have been lying awake at night, imagining what it would be like to date John Cena," Randy laughed evilly. "You said it yourself, when you heard he was coming back, you got excited. I bet you were trembling with excitement. Picturing you and him in some cheesy nineteen eighties montage."

"Shut it, just shut it. You want a match at SummerSlam. You got it. John Cena, Randy Orton versus Zack Ryder and Big E. However, it'll be on our terms. A No Holds Barred match."

"That is just what I was hoping for, Paige," Randy laughed at her response playing out just as he'd been betting. "My favourite kind of match."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter should be posted tomorrow :)**


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N: Didn't quite get this finished yesterday so I'm posting today. It's a long chapter and we only have two more to go. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"Morning darling," Randy murmured, kissing John on the back of his shoulder as he rolled over and pulled John back against him.<p>

"Morning," John replied sleepily.

They had only arrived back from St Louis the day before but it felt like they had been there forever. Tampa was their true home and Randy preferred it when he could wake up with John in their own bed.

The summer hand flown by and today was Alanna's first day back to school. He winced as he opened his eyes to the sunlight and tried to focus on the digits on John's alarm clock, ten a.m., she would have gone a long while ago. He cursed himself for not getting up to see her on her first day back; he knew she was anxious about seeing the girls at the school. He rolled back onto his side of the bed and grabbed his cell phone from his bedside cabinet, typing a text message to her to apologise and let her know she'd be fine.

As he sent the message, John rolled over and rested his head on Randy's shoulder draping an arm across his body.

"Comfy," Randy chuckled slightly at his partner.

"Own bed. Boyfriend. Comfy John," he said without opening his eyes.

"Comfy John obviously needs some caffeine so he can string a complete sentence together," Randy said kissing his head before trying to slide out from under John's arm. When John wouldn't move and instead pressed his arm against Randy stopping him from leaving the bed, he finally opened his eyes and looked up at Randy's bemused face.

"Own bed. Boyfriend. Horny John."

"Darling, I have things I need to do today," Randy said trying once again to get John's arm off him.

"If you look up and say grocery shopping, I might never forgive you," John said playfully.

"We need food, you wouldn't let me go out last night when we got home," Randy said.

"Because it was 2 a.m. when we got here, you needed to eat," John admonished him.

"Okay, but that means I have to go out today to feed you. I'm not even sure we have anything here for breakfast," Randy challenged.

John pushed himself up from Randy swinging his leg over his waist to straddle him. The reaction was almost instantaneous and John smirked down at his lover.

"Your brain might want to have a conversation with your body, it wants two different things," John chuckled. "Now let me have my way with you and then you can go shopping."

"I'm sorry, who's the boss in this relationship," Randy asked sliding his hands up and down John's thighs, loving the muscles flexed under his hands.

"It's early morning... ish," he said checking the time. "I get to play."

"Do I, at least, get a say in what happens to my body," Randy joked.

"Yes. You get to decide whether you want my mouth or ass," John told him as he started grinding against Randy's hips.

"Just one of them?" Randy clarified breathless.

"Just one."

"Difficult decision," he said moaning softly as John continued grinding. "I should say 'mouth' since you're trying your hardest to persuade me otherwise."

"I don't mind either, I love the taste of your cock in my mouth," John shrugged.

"If I choose ass, do I get to choose position?"

"No."

"So what position will it be?"

"What does it matter?" John asked chuckling at Randy.

"Your ass can take more of me in different positions," Randy said seriously, making sure to drag out the decision, just to wind John up.

"Is that so?"

"Yep," Randy said remaining tight lipped.

"Fine," John relented. "What position?"

"Bent over the bottom of the bed with your ass in the air and your face in the mattress, now that might get me off nice and quick," Randy said with a grin on his face, slapping John's butt. "Even if it didn't, I might stop and stare at it for a while."

"Randal."

Randy chuckled at John's annoyance and the way he called him Randal. That only happened when he was trying not to get angry. He chuckled again, grabbed John's hips, and pulled himself up, wrapping John's legs around his waist.

"I don't really care about the position, but I do like it when you're wrapped tight around me," Randy said softly, rubbing his hard cock along the crease of John's ass.

"I hate you sometimes," John said seriously.

"No," Randy said kissing him gently. "You don't. You love me. As much as I love you and can't live without you."

As he spoke, he reached over to his bedside cabinet and pulled out their bottle of lube. He squeezed some onto his fingers and reached around to find John's opening, pressing a finger in gently.

"You good?" Randy asked as John moaned.

"Yeah, need another though," he said kissing Randy as his arms slipped around his neck. They locked eyes as Randy slid a second finger in and grazed John's hotspot. "Mmmm."

"Ready for more, darling?"

"Ready," John assured him, resting his forehead against Randy.

Randy quickly spread some lube on his cock before lining it up with John's entrance. He pressed gently against the resistance and slid in slowly, feeling John engulf him, as John grew accustomed to the invasion.

With his legs wrapped tight around Randy's body, John couldn't ride Randy as much as he would like. Randy simply held John's hips still and thrust gently up into John, brushing his spot with every movement. Randy had John's cock trapped between their bodies, relishing the feel of it rubbing against his abs.

John kissed him as Randy thrust slowly into John. He'd been messing with John before, he loved it when they were as close as they were and took their time. It wouldn't be an explosive finish but they would take care of each other's need for release. Randy could cum just from the thought of his powerful boyfriend giving into him every time, taking his cock as hard as Randy wanted to give it him. It was his biggest turn on, his big muscled lover giving control to him.

"Oh god, Randy, honey," John moaned between kisses. Randy could see he was reaching the edge and was close to cumming. He sped his thrusting up a little just to give John a little more friction. "Randy."

"I'm there with you," Randy told him before kissing him hard. He kept one hand on John's hip and let the other travel up John's body, raking a nipple as he did. His hand slid around and gently gripped the back of John's head as they kissed; moaning against one other's tongues. John started gripping Randy's cock with his ass as Randy thrust, John was going to make sure Randy came at the same time, or near as damn it.

John's moans grew louder and more frequent as Randy continued kissing him, breaking a part only for air and the odd swear word. John squeezed his legs tight around Randy as his orgasm took over. He felt his cum shoot out from his cock and cover their stomachs right before Randy filled his ass with cum. John collapsed against Randy and even through his own orgasm, Randy held John, pulling out only when he was sure John was okay.

He eased John onto his back and kissed him languidly as they regained their breath. He stretched out alongside John and his fingers trailed the length of his torso.

"Love you," Randy said before kissing him chastely again.

He threw the sheet back and padded across the room to the en suite to grab a cloth, wiping himself down while he returned to John to clean him up.

"I'm going to see if we have anything I can use to rustle up breakfast," he said kissing John one last time. "Have a shower before you come down."

"I'd rather you join me," John said lacing their fingers together.

"Anyone would think you're sex starved. Like you haven't been getting it every day we've been on the road," Randy said slipping a finger around to rim John's opening.

"Mm. Randy."

"You shower. Me breakfast," Randy said pulling away from John and heading for the bedroom door. He went down the stairs, found a note taped to the refrigerator door from Alanna, smiled, and then started rummaging through the cupboards. He really wished John had let him go shopping the previous night when they got home. He could have just got the essentials so they could have a good breakfast, and then gone back the next day for the rest.

At least Alanna was okay when she left. He didn't want her thinking he couldn't be bothered to get up to see her. No, she had come in to see him and they were both sleeping so she left them to get some rest.

He rifled through the cupboards but couldn't find anything. He opened the fridge, not expecting to find anything but he silently thanked God when he found some eggs. He heard the shower start upstairs and thought about joining John but thought better of it when his stomach growled. They could always have a second round after breakfast. He considered how John might want his eggs and decided on omelettes.

"You can tell I was tired last night," John said walking over and kissing Randy as he went through to the laundry room.

"What happened to your shower? You've left it running," Randy told him.

"For you, go shower, I'm treating you to an anniversary breakfast," John said coming out of the laundry room. "Did they come out of the suitcase?"

"Yeah, I whipped them out, I didn't want to try cooking naked," Randy said. "Nice to see you remembered this year.

"Chuck them here then go shower," John called from the doorway ignoring the playful jibe.

"Gee, so romantic John," Randy complained as he dropped them giving John a full view.

"Stop mucking about and get in the shower," John said trying not to laugh at his boyfriend's behaviour.

* * *

><p>Standing outside of homeroom, Alanna took a deep breath. She'd seen Mike briefly when she arrived at school and they caught up as much as they could before they had to head inside. She wished he was in the same homeroom as her, but she figured she couldn't have it all her own way. He was meeting her after homeroom so they could work out which classes they had together. They had elected for a number of the same subjects, but there was no guarantee they would be in the same class.<p>

As she entered, she spotted a free seat at the back of the room and headed toward it, keeping away from the girls who had already arrived and sat on the opposite side of the room. She nervous about what might happen with them, but more than ready to deal with them if they time arrived, regardless of what might go onto her transcripts.

She heard the group cackle looked up to see them looking over toward her. She rolled her eyes and sat down at the desk, why did she ever try to be friends with them?

"Psst, Alanna," she heard from her right. "Is it true you beat them up last term?"

"I was defending myself, and it was Brianna, not all of them," Alanna responded as she tried to recall the girl's name. "They did a number on me, though."

"No doubt. Everyone heard," the girl said. Alanna remembered the girls name as Erin. "I mean, you get cornered by four girls, you're going to get your ass kicked. Besides, they've been bullies since we were in kindergarten."

"Doesn't surprise me," Alanna said, only just paying attention.

"Well, it's good to see you came to your senses. I mean I figured you were a lost cause when you started dating Brad. The jackass. Oooh, are you dating Mike Pagano?"

"What?" Alanna snapped her head around to face Erin. "No, we're not dating."

"Rumour has it you are, that you started dating over the summer," Erin explained.

"The rumour is just a rumour. I was away with my dads."

"Right, yeah, the gay wrestlers. I can't believe Zack Ryder has a thing for John Cena. I feel sorry for Paige," Erin said looking a little sad. "I like Paige, think she's a great wrestler. She's going to kick Eva Marie's ass at SummerSlam."

Alanna couldn't believe there was another girl who enjoyed wrestling as much as her. She'd grown up with her friends monitoring things just because of her dad, but they were never into the wrestling. It was cool Erin was into the sport as well.

"I bet your dad is well pissed off," Erin said. "Oh, wait, it's not causing problems between them is it?"

* * *

><p>Later that day when her class broke for lunch, she headed toward the canteen where Mike met her. She handed him her schedule and he compared the rest of their week. Mike found it easier to cross-reference the timetables than Alanna so she left him to it while she loaded their trays with food. By the time they got to the till, Mike was finished and rattled off the classes they had together, thankfully it was more than she was expecting.<p>

"Do you know a girl named, Erin?"

"Umm, yeah, Erin Lindemann, she's in your homeroom isn't she?" Mike confirmed.

"Yeah, and my Math class in the morning," Alanna commented.

"I have her in my English class. I can't make my mind up if she's very smart... or really ditzy."

"She thinks Zack actually has a thing for my dad," Alanna explained why she was asking.

Mike looked at her as they took a seat at their lunch table; he had a look of confusion on his face, "You mean, he doesn't?"

"Mike!" Alanna yelled pushing on his arm while laughing.

"I'm kidding, relax," he said laughing with her. "I take it, you'll be at SummerSlam on Sunday."

"Yeah, they've got their last match," she explained.

"They down to win?"

"It makes sense. If not, Zack's right and they're a couple of dinosaurs who can't wrestle anymore," Alanna joked. "John wouldn't be happy with that."

"Can I ask you something," Mike said tentatively.

"Sure."

"You said before that you think of John as your dad, yet every other sentence you call him John," Mike said with a small amount of confusion in his eyes. "I just wondered why."

"I don't know, really. I guess dad, my actual dad, hasn't referred to him as that, it could get confusing as well," she said with a shrug. "Did I tell you what John asked me when we were in Vegas last week?"

"No."

"Keep it to yourself, but, he asked for my blessing to marry dad," Alanna said. "Well, to ask him anyway."

"That's cool. How's he going to pop the question?"

"I asked if I could think about it," Alanna said sheepishly.

"Why?" Mike asked shocked at the admittance.

"I... why now? I mean, they've been together for fourteen years... oh crap, it's today I need to get a card," she said suddenly remembering the date. "Please God let John remember. Anyway, I couldn't get my head around the timing. He didn't say anything about wanting to propose on their anniversary."

"Is that the only reason you didn't say yes?"

"What else would there be?" she asked Mike confused. For a boy of seventeen, he was perceptive and he didn't hold back in case of hurting her feelings. He was a true friend who could tell her the truth.

He was obviously finding the right way to word his thoughts when a shadow fell over the table. Alanna sat back, not realising her and Mike had been leaning in as they spoke.

"So what are we talking about?" Erin asked pulling a chair over to their table.

"Erin, um, we were-"

"It's okay, I don't mind, but you can't say anything to anyone okay," Alanna warned the girl. As ditzy as she appeared, Alanna suspected Mike's first assumption was correct, she was smart. It just seemed her social skills were a little under developed. "My dad, John, he wants to propose to my dad."

"I understand the whole, confusing sentences thing now," Mike smiled at Alanna's wording.

"Does he have any plans for the proposal?" Erin asked.

"He asked me for my blessing, but I haven't said yes yet," Alanna brought Erin up to speed.

"Well, if they love each other, I don't see a problem with it," Erin shrugged making it simple.

"I agree," Mike said. "Are you concerned what might happen if they broke up? You've already had one set of parents get divorced. Maybe, subconsciously, you don't want a second set to do the same."

"I hate that you're so perceptive," Alanna grouched. "Oh, before I forget, dad managed to get some extra tickets for the show on Sunday, you two fancy coming along? It's in Miami so it'll be a long day, but bonus we won't be back until the Monday, so day off school."

"Ooh sounds fun," Erin said smiling. Alanna loved how Erin got excited over the smaller things in life.

"Mike?"

"How many tickets did you get?"

"With Erin and you I would have one free; I'll warn you though, my grandparents will be there," Alanna said. "And Grandma O wants to meet you."

"Why?"

"I don't know, she was at the restaurant when we spoke on my birthday," Alanna shrugged. "Are you in?"

"I have the tennis finals that day, they're in Miami as well, we can make a day of it," Mike suggested. "Erin?"

"I've never played tennis outside of school," she said sadly.

"Erin, I'll be playing, you'll be watching," Mike chuckled.

"Ohhh, in that case, count me in," Erin said smiling again.

"My brother will be coming to support me, is there any chance he could go to SummerSlam as well?" Mike asked. "I think it would be cool for him to meet your dads."

"I can totally set that up, is it okay to tell them about him?"

"Yeah of course. It was them that helped him come to terms with his sexuality," Mike beamed. "Oh, my brother is gay," he said filling Erin in.

"Okay, so Sunday we do Miami," Alanna said bringing them full circle. "I have to go really early with my dads; Erin, can you get to my house for five thirty a.m.?"

* * *

><p><em>Summerslam – Miami, Florida<em>

"Okay, introductions, Erin, Mike, Jay, meet my grandparents, Grandma's O and C and Grandpa O," Alanna said pointing to each one.

"O and C like Orton and Cena?" Erin asked.

"Yes, Erin, like Orton and Cena," Alanna said with a chuckle pushing her into a seat before turning back to her grandparents. "Mike won his tournament by the way."

They all congratulated him as they took their seats. Alanna took her usual position at the end of the aisle. She liked to be able to see the matches, even if the camera operators got in the way at times.

"John said for everyone to go backstage after their match, have you got your passes?" Carol asked.

Alanna remembered she'd put them in her bag and dug them out, passing them to the other three telling them to keep them safe, if they lost them they wouldn't get behind the curtain.

The night started with some flair and the crowd were raucous from the get go. Summerslam was the second biggest event in the wrestling calendar after WrestleMania and the crowd enjoyed every second of it. The first match was over within five minutes, with a shocking but exciting ending; CJ Parker defeated Baron Corbin with a small package even though he was still feeling the effects of an attack the previous week.

The second match of the night stretched out a little longer as Cesaro went one on one with Roman Reigns, a match that had been building for some time with the fans. Alanna and her friends were enjoying the match as the action spilled to ringside and Roman Reigns went flying into the barricade right where they sat.

Although she was enjoying the match, and the entire show, so far, she was trying to contain her excitement and not draw attention to herself. No doubt, the cameras would focus in on her when her dads were in their fight.

After another ten minutes and some powerful moves from both Roman and Cesaro, Cesaro managed to get the win as he sent Roman into the air and landed an uppercut, knocking his opponent out long enough to get a pin fall.

Sami Zayn was out next facing off against Bray Wyatt. Bray had recently reformed the Wyatt Family with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan and a host of others he had fought with in previous years, and Sami was his latest target. What made it worse for Sami was the fact that the latest general manager made it an extreme rules match.

Sami had accused the GM of being under the influence of the Wyatt Family but it was just laughed off as idiotic.

The match started tentatively as Sami circled the ring paying more attention to the Wyatt Family followers surrounding the ring. Bray went on the attack straight away and dominated the match over Sami. Sami was able to get some control as the match went on, but when the family tried to enter the ring and interfere, the GM ran to ringside yelling at them to leave. He stayed at ringside acting as the enforcer while Sami and Bray locked up again in the ring.

Sami took control of the match and was about to get Bray to tap out when the GM pulled Bray closer to the rope so he could grab it. Sami pulled him back into the centre of the ring and Bray was screaming in pain. The GM jumped into the ring but Sami caught him. Bray cut in and hit Sami with Sister Abigail to gain the win. After the match, the GM fell to his knees pledging his allegiance to The Family. It was one of those situations where nobody was shocked but it still garnered a good reaction from the crowd with boos and a few shocked gasps.

Alanna's nerves were starting to build up now, her dad's match was next, and it was no holds barred. She never liked them when she was young and she disliked them even more now. Watching either of her fathers receive brutal chair shots and being put through tables was too much for her these days. She was just grateful that they weren't going up against one another anymore. In one way, she was grateful her dad was Randy Orton; he was one of the most vicious people to step into a wrestling ring.

When Zack's music hit, her heart sped up the time was now. She was about to see the best match of the night. Even if she was the only one who thought so.

Zack was down to the ring with Paige and Big E in tow. Paige was still looking pissed off after her loss to Eva Marie in her preshow match. It was a good match and Eva Marie deserved the win, showing off some of the work she had put in to learning the craft again.

Zack stopped and looked her direction and her grandfather put a protective hand on her shoulder, silently warning Zack to stay away, no doubt, the commentators were having a field day with that. As soon as the three of them were in the ring, John's music hit and he came out with his usual high energy, amping up the crowd's reaction. It made Alanna smile when she heard the 'Cena Sucks' chants which had grown since his return.

Before he moved down the ramp, his music morphed into 'Voices' and her dad came out standing next to John. They looked at one another, nodding that they could do this one more time. It had been a long time since both men had been involved in a Pay per View and she knew they were nervous.

It was weird seeing John take his time down to come down the ramp and she could see he was chomping at the bit as well. It was obvious her dad was taking his time just to wind John up. When they finally reached the bottom, they came over to greet the family and Alanna swore she saw a disgruntled look on her dad's face when he spotted Mike and his brother. She made a mental not to tell him to get over it, she was going to have male friends as well as female, but not everyone was going to turn out like Brad.

After they greeted their family, they jumped into the ring and her dad hopped onto the second turnbuckle to hit his pose. John ran the ropes and threw his cap and shirt into the crowd as he always did before turning serious. He kissed the dog tags and rather than handing them over to the referee, he jumped back out the ring and handed them to Alanna.

As he got back in the ring, Zack and Big E jumped the men and started hammering them with forearms and kicks. Big E knocked John out the ring while Randy managed to get in a couple of shots on Zack and get out of the corner. He saw Big E turn his attention and make a beeline for him, but John shot back in the ring and returned every shot he'd received moments ago. Randy ducked a clothesline from Zack and grabbed his wrist and pulling him into a vicious clothesline of his own.

Randy turned his attention to Big E to make sure John was okay, but John was vaulting him up and over the top rope sending him to floor in front of the fans.

With her team looking like they were going to lose quickly, Paige started rifling around under the ring and pulled out all sorts of weapons, throwing chairs, kendo sticks, a stop sign, and the barbed wire 2x4 that Mick Foley was famous for using, into the ring for Zack to use. Unbeknownst to her she was amusing Randy as he was grabbing each one and using them against her boyfriend while John used a kendo stick to keep Big E at bay outside the ring.

When she was finished pulling everything out from under the ring, and saw the damage Randy had done to Zack, she screamed and jumped onto the apron with a steel pipe in her hand, hidden from Randy. Staying on the outside of the ropes, Paige got into Randy's face distracting him as Big E turned the tables on John and sent him flying into the steel steps.

Randy grabs her by the hair and as he goes to pull her into the ring, she smashes him across the head with the pipe. She catches him just right and cuts him just above the eye cutting the skin. Randy stumbles dazed and tries to shake it off.

Even with it being a No Holds Barred match, Alanna isn't happy with Paige's interference and jumps the barricade. Storming across to the ring, she grabs Paige's ankle and pulls her down from the apron, getting her first cheer from the fans. It doesn't take a lot for Paige to recover and she goes to slap Alanna.

Alanna, being a fourth generation Orton, easily blocks the attack and hits Paige with a forearm. Her anger boils over and she throws punch after punch at Paige and tackles her to the floor. She's sure it isn't a pretty sight since she had no training but she's getting the job done.

She grabs Paige by the hair and starts banging her head against the floor, not knowing that the monster, Big E, is stalking her from behind. The crowd is cheering as she continues her attack but when a shadow falls over her, she looks behind to see Big E hovering over her.

He smiles a sinister smile at her but before he can get to her, John jumped into the ring, slid across and out under the bottom rope, getting between the pair. Alanna could see he's pissed off with Big E for going after her, even if she did get involved in the match. She keeps an eye on Paige while trying to keep an eye out for Zack who was still coming round in the ring.

She'd lost track of her dad who had disappeared from the ring. Then she heard an almighty crack and Big E fall to his knees as her dad smashed a chair hard across his back. He continued the sh0ts repeatedly and then turned the chair on its end smashing the top of the chair into Big E's ribs. The Viper was definitely out in force tonight.

With Big E out of action, he turns his attentions to Alanna and orders her to get back to her seat. Well, her dad might be The Viper, but she was his daughter and could stand up to him in a situation like this. She wasn't going anywhere.

With all three of them distracted, Zack was able to use a baseball slide to kick John in the back and send him flying to the floor. Alanna backed away as Zack exited the ring with a kendo stick and got a shot in on her dad before he could stop the younger man. Shot after shot landed on her dad's back and she was forced to watch until John pulled himself up from the floor. He aimed straight for Zack but was intercepted by Big E who was still dazed but able to keep going.

Big E went to spear him into the side of the apron but John was able to block the move. He called for Alanna to move out the way and Irish-whipped Big E into the steel steps sending them flying across the floor. He turned back to Zack and Randy and saw Randy rolling into the ring with Zack.

John pulls a table from beneath the ring and sends it into the ring, telling Alanna to go back to her seat before he gets in the ring as well. Alanna moves over to where they sat but stays near the ring to watch the action. They needed someone to keep an eye out for Paige and her sneak attacks. John sets up the table, as Randy grabs some more chairs from ringside and throws them into the ring along with the bell.

Zack gets to his feet as Randy climbs back in the ring and Randy goes in for the kill with the ring bell. Zack ducks and gives Randy a super kick to the face. John spins Zack around and Zack tries for another super kick but misses when John dodges the move, grabs him by the neck, and sends him through the table propped up in the corner of the ring.

Randy shakes off the kick noticing that Zack is in the opposite corner, the perfect position for his punt kick. He wasn't supposed to use it but they couldn't exactly fire him, it was his last match for a long time, if not forever.

He runs across the ring and lands the punt kick garnering an eruption of cheers from the crowd for the simple but effective and fan favourite move. Zack rolls out the ring and falls to the floor just as Big E rolls in. The two of them are doing well and it had been an easy win but they were glad they were able to prove their worth.

Randy grabs a couple of chairs from the mat and throws one at John to use as well. Big E must have set a record for the number of chair shots he'd received during the match, but he was about to take another couple. After John landed his and Randy followed it up with one, Big E was still on his feet. John grabbed him up onto his shoulders and hit him with an Attitude Adjustment. He stepped back into the corner as Randy worked himself up into frenzy and started pounding the mat waiting for Big E to get back to his feet.

Just as he does, Paige jumps up onto the apron again but Alanna runs around the ring, grabs the metal sheet her dad had used earlier and jumps onto the apron as well. She smashes the sheet into Paige's back as her dad hits the RKO and hooks Big E's leg for the victory.

She jumps into the ring to celebrate with her dads who envelope her in a hug as their music hits. They exit the ring, head over to where the family is sitting, and celebrate with them before interacting with some of the fans nearby.

Alanna tells her friends to head backstage after the match and they can all catch up, promising to introduce Jay to her dads properly so they can talk with him about it.

* * *

><p><em>Later that night, after the show<em>

"Hi," Ted said tentatively.

"Hey," Cody said with a shy smile. He couldn't help the feelings that Ted stirred in him, whether he was with the man or not.

"I wanted to catch up with you, about last night," Ted said.

"Yeah, sure," Cody said, his stomach tying itself in knots. He was starting to think he'd made a mistake by telling Ted he couldn't be with him. "Good match tonight by the way."

"Yeah, you too," Ted said sitting next to him on the locker room bench.

Cody watched as Ted picked at his nails, a sure sign that he was nervous. It made it slightly easier, knowing Ted was as nervous as he was. The previous night was something that wasn't supposed to happen, but when it did, Cody realised he was meant to be with Ted. They could work through their problems and he could prove to John and Randy that he wasn't as selfish as they seemed to think he was.

"It was mistake," Ted said quietly, though loud enough that Cody heard every word.

"What?"

"I woke up with you in my arms, and it felt great, but after you left for the gym, I was thinking on it more and more," Ted explained. "You were right last week when you said that we want different things in life."

"Ted, button-"

"I asked to be released from my contract," Ted said standing up and heading away from the man he would always love. "My priority can't be this business when I have a son who needs me. I saw how it tore Randy up to be away from Alanna; he justified it by being able to provide her with anything she needed over the years. I've already missed so much, I won't miss anymore."

"But," Cody went to say, lost for words.

"Tomorrow night on Raw, Bray's using the Money in the Bank contract to win the title," Ted explained. "I'm going to slip out quietly. I'm also moving back to Mississippi."

"Ted," Cody tried to stop him but he didn't need to, Ted walked up to him and kissed him gently. "Thank you. For everything."

Ted kissed him once more and then turned on his heel and left. Cody sank back into his chair, letting a few tears escape and run down his cheeks. He quickly gathered his belongings and headed for the exit. He wanted to get back to the hotel and forget everything.

As he walked down the corridor, he spotted Alanna and Randy heading along with drinks. He kept his head down as he passed them, but Randy grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"What's the matter?"

"Like you care," Cody spat at him.

"Al, sweetheart, take these back to the locker room, I'll be along shortly," Randy said passing the drinks to Alanna so he and Cody could talk. When she was out of earshot, Randy turned back to Cody. "Just because I disagree with you on something, doesn't mean we're not friends. Now tell me what's wrong."

"I've lost everything," Cody said letting the tears take over.

Randy put a supportive hand on his shoulder and Cody grabbed hold of his arm to keep himself on his feet.

"Ted's leaving. Tomorrow is his last night. He's going back to Mississippi," Cody cried.

"Codes, you have to let him live his life, and right now his heart is with his son," Randy said sympathetically, not wishing to point out that Cody was the one to end things with Ted in the first place.

"I know, but it doesn't make it any easier. I thought we might be getting back together," Cody sobbed. "Last night, we..."

"Codes, I'm sorry, but, sometimes that's what it takes for people to see the truth," Randy said pulling Cody into him to comfort him. As he held him, he saw John coming down the corridor with concern in his eyes. Randy shook his head, letting him know not to interrupt. John nodded in silent response and headed back to their locker room where the family were waiting for them. "Listen; after SmackDown, why don't you come and stay at our place, I'll even be nice and let you bring Rogue."

Cody stepped back with a small smile, "Maybe."

"Just think about it," Randy said. "And remember, you're welcome in our home any time you like."

Cody nodded thanks before saying goodbye and disappearing down the corridor toward his bus.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hope you enjoyed :)**


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N: I wrote the final chapters of the story on the way back from Liverpool yesterday so I thought I would post them together. Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>"Alanna you have to do this," Erin told her as Mike drove them over to the wrestling school where her dad was holding an assessment day he had arranged. He'd spoken with Darren and Matt, they all agreed to have a second class, and they didn't mind putting in the hours. At the end of the day, it was a good thing because it meant people were interested.<p>

"I know," Alanna said. "But I've left it so long I'm worried John's going to think I don't want him to marry dad and won't propose."

"Then convince him otherwise," Mike chipped in as in indicated to turn into the parking lot. "The John I met would believe you anyway."

"Okay, I'm going to do this," she said gearing herself up. "Why am I nervous? I'm just telling him yes, gees anyone would think I was accepting a proposal."

"Are you hanging around? Wouldn't mind seeing some of the wrestlers," Erin said with a smile. "Will Dolph Ziggler be in there?"

"No, Erin," Alanna chuckled. "This is just a bunch of wannabes learning the basics. The only known names are the trainers. My dads, Albert and William Regal."

"Ohh," she said disappointed. "Can we come in anyway? Mike, do you want to go in?"

"How about we start with, Alanna how long are you going to be in there?"

"Depends on John I guess," she shrugged. "He may not want to chat in there."

She sat biting her nails as her two friends talked around her. She didn't mind, she liked being left to her thoughts. She'd felt bad for leaving it so long but in her defence everyone had been too busy to get five minutes alone with John. After Summerslam, Cody had been at the house more often than not, especially after Ted had dropped the belt.

"Okay, I'm going in," she said, suddenly. Opening the door, she jumped out the car and Mike and Erin came with her, apparently, they were going in to watch the action. She led the way around to the main entrance, not that it looked like much from the outside, but then that was what her dad was aiming for.

As soon as she opened the door, she could hear the sounds of people hitting mats and lots of yelling telling people to 'do it again'. Even Alanna knew one of the most important factors when wrestling was stamina. You could be pumped with muscle but if you could go five minutes in a ring, then you weren't going to make it in the business.

She looked around as she stepped in the room and saw Darren in one of the rings with a group of lads, making them throw themselves to the mat, get back up and do it again. Albert was in the second ring getting guys to run back and forth across the ring bouncing off the ropes. Her dad was in the final ring making his ten guys do an of exercise her gym teacher made them do when he had them running circuits.

John was over with the final group teaching them how to put a guy in an armbar. She couldn't help but think that the move was too easy since she'd often put her dad in the move when they were mucking about. Okay, he let her, but she knew how to do it just from watching Raw as a kid.

She led her friends over to the offices which meant walking across the training hall. As they did a couple of the wannabes whistled over to her.

"Anybody in this room who just whistled, you've got ten extra sets of whichever exercise you're on," Randy yelled over the din. "You do it again and I chuck you out this school."

Alanna and Erin laughed like the teenage girls they were and continued over to the offices. She caught her dad's annoyed gaze as she passed the ring he was working in and she couldn't help bursting into laughter again. Her dad had a tendency to overreact when people were checking out his family. Truth was she didn't mind them checking her out; it was a nice feeling to think that they liked the way she looked.

She caught a look in Mike's eye when they hit the office, apparently, he was as protective as her dad was, but if he wasn't going to step up and ask her out then he could stop with the annoyed look.

She spotted the coffee maker and instantly set about filling it up and getting a coffee ready for both her dads who were sure to want one. They looked as if they'd had a long day, and from the conversations she'd had with her dad the previous night, it was only going to get longer. After they had finished their assessments here, they were shipping everyone over to Hard Nock's and putting them through their paces at the gym, with Rob spending time with each of them to work out a development programme for them.

When the coffee was made, she handed a mug to Mike and Erin and took one for herself while she waited for either of her dads to come in. She was surprised that neither had made an appearance yet to ask why she was there, she figured it was because they were busy with the groups and they'd call a break when the smell of coffee wafted out into the main hall.

"How many coffees have you had today?" Randy asked as he walked in taking the mug from her.

"That's only my second," Alanna whined, she was over the only one cup of coffee a day.

"We agreed you could have one a day as long as you had food with it," Randy reminded her. She understood why he didn't want her relying on coffee, but she wasn't going to OD on it. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to catch up with my dad," she said hugging him.

"Uh huh, which one?" Randy said eyeing her suspiciously. "The one that will give you anything you want?"

"Actually it is, but I don't want anything, just to chat about something. And he doesn't let me have EVERYTHING I want," she said with a smile.

"No, he won't buy you it if he thinks I'm going to kill him for it," Randy laughed.

"My ears were burning," John said leaning against the doorway. "Has he told you off for distracting the wrestlers?"

"Not yet, he seems more caught up on the second coffee I was having and how he thinks I came here to see you because I want something," Alanna said handing John one of the coffee's she'd made and taking the last one for herself.

"He's right about the coffee," John said taking her mug away. "Is there enough for another cup? I'm sure Darren and Matt would like one."

"How come Erin and Mike can have one," Alanna griped.

"We're not their parents," John said sitting on the edge of the desk next to Randy. "What do you want?"

"Right now, a cup of coffee," she said pouring a mug for the trainers.

"Okay, I'm going back out to that lot," Randy said shaking his head at her complaining. "And if you mention it one more time, you won't get any tomorrow."

Randy brushed his lips against the top of her head as he took the drinks from her and promised to see her later. He was about to head back out to the hall when John stopped him and kissed him quick, "Mm needed that all day."

"Gross," Alanna said automatically, she loved winding them up and it was more a joke she shared with them than anything else.

Alanna looked over to Mike and Erin and nodded for them to leave the room. They excused themselves to watch the workout and trials going on in the next room, leaving Alanna alone with John to speak to him about her decision. She wanted to explain why she had taken so long to come back to him, not wanting him to think she didn't want either of her dad's to be happy.

John was obviously reading her mind and stopped her from going into any kind of explanation, "Just tell me yes or no."

"Yes."

"Okay," he said beaming and pulling her into his arms. "Come on."

He leads her out to the main room and stops besides Randy's ring. He finished with his groups, and the stats and comments are recorded and in the office so the three of them can make an informed decision. At the end of the day, John was helping out for the day and wasn't one of the main trainers, the decision over which session they should go in would be up to Randy and his trainers.

"We're heading out," John yelled. "I'll see you later. Give me a call if you need anything."

"Don't spend too much on her," Randy warned.

John just laughed and walked away, stopping for Alanna to speak to her friends, she had no idea where and she were going but she figured they wouldn't be back to the school. John told them they were welcome to stay as long as their parents knew where they were and weren't out passed any curfew they may have.

"Where are we going?" Alanna said as she jumped into the truck with John.

"If I'm proposing, I need a ring," John said with a smile.

"Will you propose tonight?"

"I figured we could all go out for a meal, your dad's going to be tired and won't want to cook, and I thought it would be nice to celebrate a successful first day," John said. "I suppose I could propose when we get back. I don't want to do it at the restaurant, he'd kill me."

"I'm sure you want me there but this should be your night," Alanna said. "I don't want to be a third wheel. Let me see if I can stay at Erin's for the night. You can have a meal, go home, and propose there. Just let me know if he says yes."

"'If'? 'If' he says yes," John says. "Thank you for instilling confidence in me."

"Sorry," she chuckled. "I meant 'when'."

* * *

><p>It was gone ten o'clock by the time John was pulling back into the driveway of their home. It had been a long day and Randy was ready to head up to bed and curl into his lover and drift off to sleep with a peaceful mind, knowing he had been able to see an inkling of an idea through to a fruitful conclusion. Okay, sure, there was still work to do but today had been a success and it was just a matter of getting the lads through the training and finding them some work in the independent circuit for experience. Everything was going to be individualised according to their plans, and if plans changed, then Randy would work with them to accomplish the goal.<p>

"Don't fall asleep on me just yet," John said taking Randy's hand as they got out of the car and went through to the house.

"I wish Al had been there tonight," Randy said leaning into John's side.

"She had some homework she wanted to work on with Erin and Erin's mom said she'd cook. It was her idea to stay over and go to school from there," John said assuring him. "How about we share a bottle of wine on the veranda?"

"I'll get the glasses," Randy mentioned heading into the kitchen as John chose a bottle of wine from their small collection.

John wrapped an arm around Randy's waist as they went over to the veranda doors. For some reason the blinds were lowered and Randy couldn't ever remember them doing that. They were only there for decoration. John took his hand and opened the door and Randy's breath was stolen at the sight. Across every surface was tea light candles lit and an ice bucket holding a bottle of champagne.

Randy noticed a note resting against the bucket and picked it up to read:

_You're the most amazing man I've ever met._

_I want to spend the rest of my life with you._

_John x_

Randy let a smile spread across his lips, John was a sappy romantic, but he always knew how to do things without going too overboard. He turned around to John, who was over by the music system setting up some music for them. He walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

"I'm guessing you had some help from a certain young lady," Randy whispered.

"I may have requested her help with this particular task," John said leaning back in Randy's arms, tilting his head back and stealing a kiss. "I was expecting her to go to this much trouble."

John hit the play button and took Randy's hand leading him to the middle of the veranda. John slid his hands up Randy's arms and around his neck as Randy leaned in to kiss him. They kept it slow and steady as they both conveyed the love they had for one another. The kiss slowly ended and Randy lead John in a dance, holding him close as they swayed to the music. His long day was ending perfectly.

"Will you marry me, Mr Orton?" John whispered in Randy's ear.

"Are you asking me, Mr Cena?" Randy said playing along with John's sappiness.

John straightened his stance and looked Randy square in the eye, "I'm asking."

Randy stood for a moment in shock; John was actually asking him to marry him. He wanted to scream yes but he lost his voice. He'd never been on the receiving end of a proposal, and somehow he never presumed John would be the one to propose in this relationship. That made it even more special. He could feel the emotion welling up in his eyes and he became determined not to turn into a blubbering idiot.

"Will you say some-"

"Yes," Randy said gulping as he spoke. He wanted to stop John's concerns, but the gulp probably didn't help. He took a moment to steady his own nerves. "Yes, I'll marry you. As long as you promise to put up with me for the rest of your life."

"Well I have for fourteen years," John said, his beaming smile taking over. "Oh, wait."

"What?"

John reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small velvet pouch, "What's a proposal without rings?"

"That better not be a diamond ring," Randy warned him. "I am not the woman in this relationship."

"Neither am I," John said laughing at Randy's threat. "This is why I went for something simple."

He took the rings out and showed Randy the Onyx and Platinum bands he picked out. He slid one on to Randy's ring finger and Randy took the second ring before John could put it on.

"Last chance for you to change your mind," Randy said with a smirk. "No backing out, you'll be stuck with me."

"I worked that out the day we started together. That's why I've never been able to let you go," John said seriously. "I can't live without you Ran, and I don't want to."

"That makes two of us," Randy said kissing him as he slid the ring on his finger.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Final chapter coming up :)**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N: Hope you have enjoyed the story and thank you to those who have commented. I took I always take too long to post sometimes but I don't have as much time to write anymore :(**

**Anyway here it is, the final chapter**

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><p><em>Three months later<em>

As soon as he stepped in the room, his eyes were scanning for him. John and Randy had told Cody early on that Ted was going to be the Celebrant at the wedding and he was anxious to see how he was. Since Ted had stepped away from the WWE, the two had yet to speak. It was always going to be a tricky conversation but Cody knew he wanted his friend back.

He knew Ted had moved on and was in another relationship, he was also expecting Ted to bring him along today to share in the celebration. If he was as happy as everyone told him, Cody was pleased. Ted deserved to be happy and have a full life.

"Looking for someone," the familiar voice said from behind.

Cody turned on his heel and saw Ted for the first time in nearly four months. He hadn't changed, he didn't expect him to have changed, but for some reason he made a mental note about it.

"An old friend of mine," Cody said playing along making Ted smile. "It's good to see you."

"You too," Ted nodded in agreement, clearly feeling awkward in the situation.

"Dad, Mrs Cena wants to know if you want a drink?" a teenage lad asked walking up to Ted. Cody recognised him immediately as Tate, Ted's son. Even if he'd met Ted for the first time today, Cody would know the two were related.

"I'm okay, thanks, son. Tate, I'd like you to meet, Cody," Ted introduced. Tate's eyes lit up with recognition, and Cody thought he spied a little bit of resentment causing the guilt Cody had felt when he was with Ted rise up again.

"It's nice to meet you, Tate," Cody said pressing the guilt back down and offering his hand out to shake.

"Yeah, and you," Tate said quietly before being polite and receiving the handshake. Definitely some resentment, and who could blame the kid. Cody had refused to be a part of Ted's life with him and hurt his dad at the same time. Cody would have a lot of work to do to build bridges there. "I'm going to let Mrs Cena know you don't want a drink."

"Ted, he's the spitting image of you," Cody said shaking his head in disbelief.

"I know," Ted said with a huge smile on his face.

"Ted, I know you're going to be busy with the ceremony, but is there any chance we could talk today, there's something I want to let you know, something I only realised after you left the company."

"The service won't be starting until John's brother and his wife get here with the kids, so we can head outside and chat now if you want," Ted suggested.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Cody agreed nervously. He wasn't sure exactly how he wanted to say it but he'd figure it out as he started talking.

They went outside and sat at one of the tables in the courtyard area and Ted looked at Cody expectantly. Cody felt pressured to get this right but he was just going to talk from the heart and see where it got him.

"Okay," he breathed. "First off, I understand you're in a relationship-"

"Cody, don't do this," Ted warned. "I'm happy."

"I know. That was what I was going to say. I'm glad you're happy. I can see it in your eyes," Cody said smiling. "Look, I messed up, big time. I put you in an impossible situation and I hurt you. That will always be my biggest regret in life."

"Cody, everyone makes mistakes. I made some as well," Ted admitted. "In all honesty, I should never have tried to keep two separate lives. I shouldn't have given into my weakness that last night we were together; it just caused us to end on a sour note."

"Well, if we remember that night as the last moment in our relationship, it was good," Cody said with a nervous chuckle. "I mean, I fell asleep in the arms of someone I cared for. Let's face it; we both knew it wasn't going to sort things out between us. We were already over. But it didn't make it any less special than the other times we were together."

"We did have some amazing times together," Ted agreed with a hint of recognition from a long lost love.

"Um, anyway, what I wanted to tell you was, even though we didn't work out, there isn't anyone in the world I would have wanted to go through that with, but you. I think we possibly felt pressure because of John and Randy's relationship and the way they've worked out, not to mention Darren came out and is in a long-term relationship. The whole world expected us to do the same," Cody said running out of breath and making Ted relax watching a classic case of Cody talking too much. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I think our fate was always to help each other find out who we were in this crazy life."

"I agree, and I think after knowing each other so long, my Christian beliefs are starting to rub off on you," Ted half-joked before turning serious. "Are you happy Cody?"

"I am," he said nodding with a smile. "I've just started seeing someone, it's not that serious at the moment, we're just dating, but he's a nice guy."

"You think he could be the one?"

"I'm not putting that kind of pressure on myself. I really do want to have a successful career and if I find love along the way then that's even better," he said with a happy shrug.

"Ted, can I interrupt, Mrs Cena said to let you know the rest of the family will be here in about ten minutes." Cody figured the man was Ted's new boyfriend.

"Okay, thanks, Isaac I'd like to introduce you to Cody," Ted said.

"Cody, it's nice to meet you, Ted's told me so much about some of your exploits on the road," Isaac said laughing. "I think Randy and John need to watch out today before you two start with the hi-jinks."

"Randy and John would be joining in," Cody said shaking his hand and laughing along with them.

"And I hope he's not said anything too bad about me."

"A few gripes about you not enjoying the fishing trips, but I can appreciate where you come from on that one," he said taking a seat. "I get bored."

"Totally, I use to take a rucksack full of things to do while we were out there, I hated it," Cody told him, looking horrified at the thought of the trips. "Actually, the guy I'm seeing would probably enjoy a fishing trip. Maybe you two could come over to Tampa and we can arrange a trip. Ted and Philip can go fishing while we stay at home. You should bring Tate of course."

"Sounds like a plan, but you two are coming out on the boat as well."

* * *

><p>"I've got to stop calling you Cutie," John commented as Alanna stepped out of her room.<p>

"What do you mean?" she asked confused.

"You look stunning," he said making her blush.

"Well, someone has to," she joked as Randy joined them both in the upstairs hallway.

"You're going to break my heart one day," he said taking in how his daughter looked.

"Oh dear god," Alanna rolled her eyes. "Are you two going to be like this all day? I could wear a burlap sack and you'd get all emotional."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't be worried about a broken heart," John elbowed Randy.

Randy rolled his eyes and checked his suit again. He hated wearing suits, the only reason he was today was that he was getting married. John had been laughing at him all morning and kept promising that as soon as the service was over they could change back into their everyday clothes; or at least a smarter version of them.

The wedding was only a small affair held in West Newbury. John's mom had agreed to let them use her backyard. Nate had laughed when they told the family not realising how big the space was. John's mom had hired a landscaper to clean it up after they asked her if she would be okay to marry there and with the decorations, Alanna, Becky, John's sister in laws and their moms had done, it looked amazing and like what they would get if they'd gone to some country estate. Randy had been anxious about how it would end out, knowing the women were in charge of organising it, but Alanna was true to her word when she said she would make sure it stayed tasteful and there weren't too many flowers.

"How are things with Ted and Cody?" Randy asked having not seen them since they both arrived.

"Fine, they're laughing and joking around like they always have done," Alanna said.

"Cody's okay with Ted bringing his partner and Tate?"

"Yeah, turns out Cody's dating someone," she shrugged. "He kept that quiet."

"I knew he'd gone on a date back along but didn't know it had turned into more," John said.

"Al, can you do me a favour and keep an eye on them," Randy asked. "I know I shouldn't ask you to do that but I don't want any dramas today. I'm already convinced Dad is going to have a sudden change of heart and say something when the minister asks 'If anyone here present-'"

"Randy, honey, will you relax," John said taking hold of his hands to calm him. "Your dad has been fine with it. In fact, since we got engaged he's been completely supportive."

"I know. I just want this day to be perfect," Randy said. "For both of us."

"And it will be," John said kissing him. "We're getting married. Me and you for the rest of our lives; and Ally can come along for the ride as well. Someone has to keep us in the real world."

"Thanks dad. That's such a lovely comment," Alanna said punching him in the arm.

Randy started checking his pockets, making sure he had everything he needed for the service. He and John had written their own vows and Randy had insisted on buying new rings. They now wore engagement bands on the right hand so he could give John a wedding band. What he hadn't yet told John was that he'd had them engraved with the date they were getting married.

Alanna was going to be the bridesmaid and ring bearer and they had decided not to have anyone else in the wedding party. Just the three of them, as it always was.

"Umm, dad," Alanna said interrupting his thoughts.

"What is it?" he asked concerned at her the confusion in her eyes.

"I don't know whether I should tell you this, and I'm sorry if you don't want to hear it, but I had a phone call from Mom," she explained. "It's nothing bad, but I know you two don't see eye to eye anymore."

"What is it sweetheart," Randy asked bringing her close.

"She said to tell you, congratulations and that she hopes you're happy with John."

"Tell her, thank you, the next time you speak with her," Randy commented. "How's your brother?"

"Half-brother," she said pulling a face. "He's fine. I'm surprised she stopped talking about him long enough to give me her message."

"Half-brother or not, he's your brother. And having a child is an exciting time, I remember when you came along, she was exactly the same, and so was I," Randy chuckled.

"He couldn't go two minutes without mentioning you," John said joining them in the conversation. "He was showing everyone your picture and he had this goofy grin on his face. If I had been comfortable admitting it, I would have said he looked cute."

The three of them relaxed for another five minutes waiting for the last few members of John's family to arrive, Randy checked again that Alanna was happy to stay here with her grandparents while John and he went away for a few days. They were a whistle-stop trip up to Maine for a brief honeymoon and then they were coming back down to West Newbury before heading back to Florida in time for Christmas.

With the wedding bringing the family together, they decided not to head back to either St Louis or West Newbury and have a Christmas, just the three of them, in Florida. John and Randy were concerned that Alanna didn't want to go back to St Louis to see her mom, but she said she'd rather be with her dads.

A couple of minutes later, Carol popped her head into the room and told them everyone had arrived and were heading outside to take their seats. A couple of minutes later they made their way downstairs and Alanna met Becky by the back door to tell her to start the music. They weren't having the traditional wedding march, instead opting for an instrumental version of one of their favourite love songs.

Alanna walked down the aisle just ahead of them as John and Randy went hand in hand toward the makeshift altar.

She stood to the right of her dad with her bouquet in hand. She had a small purse holding the rings; she just hoped she gave the right one to each of them.

"Welcome everyone and thank you for coming and joining John and Randy on this momentous day," Ted said with a smile. John and Randy had decided they wanted someone they knew running the ceremony and with Ted being a Christian, they could think of no one better. "When John and Randy approached me about being the Celebrant at today's wedding and told it would be in Massachusetts in December... outside; I thought Dear Lord, why me? However, being here today, and seeing how much Randy hates being in his suit, well, it's worth it.

"John and Randy have prepared their own vows which is good, because then I don't have to come up with some grand speech. I do want to say one thing though," Ted pointed out. "These two men aren't just retired wrestlers, lovers, fathers, sons, brothers, friends; they are also inspirations. You may be thinking, really Ted, Randy, inspirational? I would say yes, because both of these men have helped me and another close friend realise, and help come to terms with, our sexuality. It wasn't because they wanted gay friends but because they had been there themselves. They knew what it was like. And from conversations I've had with their fans, it's not just their friends they've helped, but so many people across the world."

As Randy listened to the words, he smiled, catching his imminent mother in law wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief. He discreetly nodded his head toward Carol and John looked around rolling his eyes at his mom.

"John do you have your vows," Ted indicated for him to take his turn reading his vows.

He took the card from his pocket and took a deep breath, hoping he held it together and did the words justice.

"I'm usually good with words but I have to admit that when it came to these vows, I've struggled. I couldn't work out how to summarise just what you mean to me," he said squeezing Randy's hand for support. "For the last twenty five years you've been my constant ally and friend, you were always the one I turned to for support. For fourteen of those years, I have fallen in love with you just a little bit more every day. I hope that I have been and promise that I will always be there for you as a friend and a lover for the rest of our lives."

Randy reached across with his free hand to cup John's face, rubbing his thumb across his cheek as to wipe away the tears of joy that John was struggling to keep in.

"Don't even think about kissing until I give the word," Ted warned them. "Don't forget I know you two well enough to read your minds. Now, Randy do you have your vows?"

"I have no idea how I'm supposed to follow what you've just said, but here goes," Randy said holding both of John's hands. "The simple truth is I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for you. When I found out I was going to be a father, I freaked out and made some bad choices, certain habits got worse, so bad in fact that it took a strong man like you to spell out what would happen. Now I'm not saying I've been perfect, I make mistakes still, I'm probably going to make them in the future, but it's nothing as idiotic as the ones I used to. You mentioned about us being constant allies, for me, you're nothing more than my guardian angel on earth and I can't wait to see what the rest of our lives has in store for us, because together, I know we can overcome anything that is put in our way."

John stepped closer to Randy and moved his arms around his waist, he was about to kiss him when a hand shot between them and pushed John back.

"Again, with the kissing," he joked. "You two are terrible; there is an order to this ceremony. However, since Cody looks like he's about to burst into tears I think we need to move this along. Alanna may we have the rings."

Alanna gave John and Randy the rings and as Ted was about to start the proceedings for this part of the ceremony, Randy told John to check the inside of the ring. When John saw the date and word Always engraved on the ring he smiled, "Can we get on with this, cause I want to kiss him again."

"In ten years, if you choose to renew your vows, I'm not officiating," Ted joked. "Now, John, repeat after me, I give you this ring, as a sign of my everlasting love."

"I give you this ring as a sign of my everlasting love," he repeated.

"I promise to have and to hold from this day forward, as long as we both shall live."

"I promise to have and to hold from this day forward, as long as we both shall live," John repeated sliding the ring onto Randy's finger.

Ted repeated the words with Randy as he gave the ring to John, wiggling his eyebrows at John knowing what was coming next.

"I take great pleasure in and have the honour of pronouncing you, husband, and husband. And, yes, finally, you can kiss each other," he laughed as they stepped into each other's arms before he'd even finished the words. "Ladies and Gentleman, may I introduce to you, Mr and Mr Orton."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know, I know, no final sex scene but I was writing it and I felt like it didn't fit to end it like that. The story finished with them getting married for me. Hope you don't hate me too much**


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